Twist of Fate
by Pheonicia
Summary: This twisted take on the game story lines explores the topics of fate, love, insanity, sacrifice, and betrayal in a lighthearted fashion.  All is not quite what it seems in this unpredictable tale.  Enjoy!
1. Chapter 1:  An Inauspicious Beginning

_**Disclaimer: **Oblivion and the Elder Scrolls series are owned by Bethesda. This story contains spoilers. _

Audens Avidius was having a bad day. He cursed loudly as he surveyed the empty market district, then hissed in pain as he raised his hand to his head. Even though it was noon, normally the busiest time of day, there wasn't a single person outside. Today was the first of Rain's Hand but the weather was unseasonably cold, wet, and windy. It felt more like Sun's Dusk, and anybody who could avoid going out today was hiding indoors. But Audens was scheduled to patrol, and he massaged his forehead while he watched the sheets of rain sweep through the deserted streets as he huddled in the alley between Rindir's Staffs and Edgar's Discount Spells.

He wasn't sure what was hurting his head worse - the hangover, or the fact that he owed Lorkmir 750 septims. He'd lost heavily at the arena betting on the yellow team's gladiator, and his pittance of a salary wouldn't come for another month. Audens had already shaken down the merchants for their 'insurance payments' and he didn't want to risk infuriating them. There was a fine line between intimidated and indignant.

His eyes scanned the deserted street as he said a silent prayer to Mara. Perhaps she would have mercy on him and help him out of this situation. "Not likely," he thought to himself, as he let out a snort of derision. "The gods have never helped me out, which is why I help myself." His thoughts wandered back to Lorkmir and the money. Theirs was a thief's bargain, with no trust on either side. Lorkmir controlled the Skooma trade in the Imperial City, and Audens helped ensure that his monopoly was safe in exchange for funds and the occasional little white bottle. He played his part well, arresting any encroaching dealers, and hampering any investigations that might get Lorkmir busted. Evidence was known to vanish and witnesses often found themselves with sudden memory problems. But Lorkmir had been acting jumpier than usual lately, perhaps having indulged in his own wares a bit too much, and his threats to expose Audens if he didn't get his money sounded more than idle.

This train of thought was interrupted as the door to Edgar's store flew open and slammed against the building, caught by a sudden gust of wind. The sound made him jump, and his attention quickly focused on the cause of the noise. A cloaked figure had stepped out of the store and was closing the door, apologizing to Edgar for having let it slip from her hand.

"Strange accent," Audens noted, years of observations coming to mind despite the pounding in his head. There wasn't much else to do other than look and observe when on patrol. He watched as she walked against the wind, cloak wrapped tightly around her and hood pulled down as far as it could go. He caught a glimpse of tan skin. "Talos' tits, another cursed High Elf." He disliked anyone who wasn't an Imperial, but he hated the Altmer the worst. His eyes quickly strayed to Palonirya's shop as thoughts of her flashed through his mind. She'd somehow managed to haggle down his 'insurance' plan and actually expected him to hunt down shoplifters who stole from her store. He often wondered if the money was even worth the hassle of dealing with that bitch.

He went back to observing the figure. The dull brown cloak didn't look like anything special, but he recognized it as having come from Black Marsh. The fabric was specially woven from swamp reeds, rendering the finished cloth waterproof. Since goods from Black Marsh took ages to get to the Imperial City, often falling victim to bandits along the way, a cloak like that would sell for a fair bit. Whoever she was, she was either well traveled or well heeled, and Audens' interest was piqued.

He stepped out of the alley and slowly started following her. Even though she was bent forward against the wind and rain he could tell that she was rather short for an Altmer. His eyes widened briefly as he watched her go into the Office of Imperial Commerce. "Obviously not a local; all of them already know that Vinicia Melissaeia is useless." he mused to himself.

The Office of Imperial Commerce had opened years ago after too many complaints of price fixing, scales that didn't balance, and other shady merchant practices, but due to a lack of funds, manpower, and direction the office quickly turned into a joke. The citizens had grown tired of complaining to Vinicia and seeing no results, so they stopped going. It was well known that there was only one reason to go there - to buy property. Audens' interest was more than just piqued.

He opened the door and slipped inside the office, grateful for a reason to be out of the rain. His gratitude was lessened when the warmth hit him. He knew Vinicia liked to keep it warm, but this was ridiculous. He made his way to the corner of the room by the stairs and assumed his guard pose, honed after countless hours spent standing in front of the district doorways. He saw Vinicia start, turning her head to stare at him. The office brought in no funds, so he hadn't extended his 'insurance' to her, but she knew by reputation that he wasn't one to tangle with. She quickly turned back to her customer and continued their conversation.

"Are you sure you wish to buy it? While I don't have any other houses available right now, there are some nice ones you can lease in the other districts, and there are some very reasonable inns as well…"

"No. Thank you for asking, but I'd like to buy the house." The Altmer gently cut Vinicia off. "The price is 2000 in total, correct?"

"Yes. Well, if you are sure this is what you want..." A silent nod from the figure. "Alright then, I'll just need you to sign a few forms." Vinicia reached into the lectern on the counter and after a few minutes of fumbling had pulled out a small stack of paperwork. The two women were both focused intently on the parchments before them. Vinicia would point here and there, and the stranger would sign.

Watching them with a bored expression on his face Audens could feel the sweat running down his back. Heat and heavy armour never mix, and a mild lurching in his stomach now joined the pain in his head. His face grimaced in annoyance, and with a smirk he noticed Vinicia hurrying the transaction along. She obviously thought she was the cause of the frown, rather than last night's ale.

"That was the last one." She said as she took the stack of parchments off the desk. "How will you be paying? We do accept credit notes from all of the major provincial banks."

"I'll pay in cash, if that's alright with you." Seeing Vinicia nod, the High Elf brought her hands up in front of her and started pulling 100-septim and 50-septim coins from her coin purse.

Audens' heart skipped a beat. "A cash purchase for a house in the Imperial City?" he pondered. In his experience most people who kept large amounts of cash on their person were either very foolish or very naughty. Either way, this was something he could work with. A plan started forming in the back of his mind, as he kept his ears focused on the sweet jingling of coin on coin as she counted out the money. He quietly opened the door and slipped outside into the street. As far as he could tell this rich Altmer hadn't even noticed him come and go. Perhaps this would be easier than he thought.

Knowing the door was hinged on the left side he went over and stood there against the old stone wall. His eyes watched a copy of the Black Horse Courier, streaked with rain but still declaring that the identity of the Gray Fox had been revealed, as it was buffeted back and forth across the square, sticking to pillars and slapping against boxes. His mind, however, was busy spending his new fortune. He wasn't a patient man, but years of patrols had taught him how to wait. Fortunately he didn't have to wait long at all. The door to the Office of Imperial Commerce swung open and the focus of Audens' thoughts stepped out in the street. As she turned to close the door Audens moved quickly, grabbing her extended wrist with his left hand while shutting the door with his right.

The hood lifted up to look at him, and instead of the look of fear or anger that he had expected, he was surprised to see a blank stare instead. From what he could see she was fairly young, though he never could judge the ages of mer. Her skin was more tan than the typical golden Altmer hue. Her face was also wider, not as long and thin as most high elves. He observed these things in the back of his mind, because his focus was on her eyes. The upturned corners weren't as severe as most mer's, but the colour surprised him. They were grey, unheard of for the Altmer. Realizing that she wasn't struggling and was waiting for him to speak, he loosened the firm grip on her wrist and cleared his throat.

"Excuse me Ma'am, but did you just purchase a home in the Imperial City?" He asked in his authoritative voice, the one he favoured when dealing with drunks and superior officers.

Wordlessly she nodded her head, expression unchanged. It wasn't the haughty look that the High Elves were renowned for; rather it seemed almost expectant. So she didn't want to talk to a guard. Maybe she wasn't a fool after all.

"Have you applied for your resident card? It is illegal to own property in the Imperial City without having a certificate of residency." A gentle shake of the head to indicate no.

"Now, I don't want to get you in trouble, even though you have broken the law." Could she tell he was bluffing? "However, since you are obviously new to the city, I'm prepared to be lenient. If you'll come with me I'll make sure you get your documentation in order right away." Keeping the grip on her wrist, he moved slowly towards the cobblestones. "We just need to go to the Legion office and fill out some paperwork. It will only take a couple of minutes." He smiled his most charming smile, the one he found worked well on judges and whores.

A nod of the head was all he received in reply.

Leading her through the rain-slicked street towards the Imperial prison Audens' thoughts drifted to the woman beside him. More specifically, thoughts of her eyes. They hadn't reacted at all to him or the things he told her. She had just kept staring at him, blinking less than any mer or man he'd ever met. He wondered if maybe she was diseased, but quickly put the thought from his head. He had just seen her interacting with Vinicia. Surely a disease wouldn't come on so quickly, not even one of the more exotic ones. He decided not to risk things by trying to make small talk. With the rumble of thunder and wind in his ears it would have been a difficult prospect anyway. Never letting go of her wrist, he smiled slightly to himself when they stepped into the courtyard of the Imperial Prison. The heavy wooden door to the prison lay before them.

He opened the door and brought her into the dark gloom of the prison vestibule. The torches on the wall were the only source of heat and a draft swept in from under the doors. A small trickle of rainwater fell from the trapdoor in the roof into a waiting bucket. The air was dank with the scent of must and dirt. Iounus Calddus was at the desk, dressed in the Imperial Legion jailor uniform with a copy of _Selected Works of Crassius Curio_ sitting on the desktop in front of him.

Audens glanced over at the High Elf. She really was short for such a mer, just a couple of inches shorter than him. Though he was tall for an Imperial, he'd never met an Altmer that hadn't been taller than him. He saw no visible reaction to her new environment. Part of him was getting concerned with her lack of concern, and the other part couldn't believe his good fortune.

"Hello Audens. What do you have there?" Iounus asked, jerking his head to the cloaked figure. His eyes, however, were looking at Audens' free hand, where the thumb was slowly moving up and down. Iounus nodded gently to indicate he understood. Whatever Audens had planned for his new friend, she certainly wasn't to be treated as a common criminal. At least not yet.

"I'm just helping this young lady get her paperwork in order. She's new to the city and looking to buy a house." he told Iounus, while turning and giving a smile to the Altmer. Not that she could see it through her hood. "I'll be taking her down to the office." With that he started towards the barred gate to his right. Iounus couldn't help grinning when he saw the docile woman follow Audens into the cellblock. Getting up to lock the gate behind them, he figured that this was probably going to be the easiest mark Audens had ever had, and Iounus was looking forward to his percentage. All he had to do was keep quiet about whatever he thought he saw or knew, and Audens would pay him a small piece of the action. Not a bad way to make some septims.

Audens led the way down the sloped and curving hallway. The hall was just wide enough for two people to walk abreast. The torches seemed to be absorbing dark more than giving light, and a foul undercurrent filled the air. He knew that this section of the prison was at the same level as the sewers, but the smell was always an unpleasant surprise. As he walked to the first unoccupied cell he noticed a movement out of the corner of his eye. Turning to look he saw Valen Dreth slink into the far corner of his cell, his red eyes glowing with hate. Valen knew by experience to stay far away from Audens, preferably well out of reach.

Audens guided the unresisting Altmer into the cell, turning her to face him. He made sure to place himself between her and the door, though even if she did make a run for it she would never get past the gate.

"Dibella's Balls!" He thought in surprise. Her expression still hadn't changed, her eyes still staring at him from under the folds of her hood. He was a little unnerved by her eerie calm. Most people never made it this far without fighting, crying, or trying to run away.

He leaned in closer to her, keeping his voice low. Even though Valen was locked away in his cell, he still preferred to keep things as quiet as possible. The less people knew, the less it could hurt him.

"I'm sure you've figured out by now that I'm not going to ask you to fill out any paperwork. What I am going to ask from you is your cloak and your coin purse."

He watched her face, sure that he would see something. But nothing changed. She didn't move. She just kept staring at him with those unreadable eyes. Audens' temper started to flare.

"Playing games? Think you can outwit me, since you're a high and mighty Altmer? If you think I won't take what I want, you are a fool." He hissed as his hands went to the clasp at her neck. With a quick jerk he pulled off her hooded cloak, stepping back momentarily in surprise.

She hadn't even flinched. He'd expected a cry, a struggle, some kind of reaction.

With the cloak off he could finally take a good look at her. The first thing he noticed was her hair. It was an intense dark red, almost the colour of fresh blood. He'd seen Bretons and Bosmer with red hair before, but nothing like this. And he'd certainly never seen it on an Altmer. It was piled up in a loose bun on the back of her head. Her dress was simple tan linen, but of excellent manufacture. Her coin purse hung off the leather belt that circled her waist. He could see that it was far from empty. Not removing his eyes from her face, he took out his dagger and cut the purse from her belt. Still no reaction.

With purse and cloak in hand he relaxed a little. He studied her face and noticed that it was not unattractive. He also took note of the soft curves under her dress. Greedy thoughts of a different nature floated into his mind. He stepped in close and put his mouth next to her ear. He brushed her cheek with his hand as he whispered to her.

"You've been a very good girl. A very good girl indeed. If you are interested in earning back some of your coin…"

Sharp, sudden laughter burst into his ear, causing his pounding headache to turn into a stabbing one. She still hadn't moved from her spot, but she was laughing. Staring right at him, and laughing in his face.

Fury swept him. He was being mocked by a stuck up Altmer bitch. Oh, how he hated the Altmer. She had wounded his vanity, and now he would wound hers. Throwing the prizes in his arms to the ground, he grabbed her by her bun.

"Think that's funny? Let's see you laugh about this." With a sudden swipe of his dagger her hair had been separated from her head. Short ragged strands now fell free around her face. The blank stare was back, and this enraged him even more.

"Say something, damn it! Talk, or I'll make you talk." He bellowed. He backhanded her in the face with his steel encased hand. Now there was a visible red mark where she had been struck, blood starting to gather where the metal had cut flesh. And still, her expression didn't change. Blind anger swept over him as he brought his hand up again.

* * *

Audens came to when he felt hands on his arm, pulling him back. Iounus was there, yelling something at him, but the sound of blood pounding in his ears made it hard to hear. 

"You're going to kill her! Stop!" The words suddenly came into focus. Audens shook himself loose and looked in the direction that Iounus was pointing.

The Altmer was curled up in a ball in a corner of the cell. There was blood and dirt all over her. The side of her face that he could see was puffy and discoloured. Both eyes had swollen up to an alarming degree. Her right arm lay at an awkward angle. But she was still breathing.

"What the hell happened here?" Iounus demanded. Audens caught the frightened look in his eyes. Stealing and beatings were one thing to turn a blind eye to, but murder was a different story. "I heard you yelling, and then I didn't hear anything at all. You know I normally don't get involved, but I thought something had happened to you…" he trailed off. Iounus' face was pale. He couldn't take his eyes from the figure on the floor. "Is she still alive?"

Audens watched her chest rise and fall. She was definitely alive. He felt strange – he'd never lost control like that before. But he remembered her laughter, and felt a swell of righteous fury. She'd definitely deserved it. He turned to Iounus.

"She tried to escape. It was a bit of a struggle, but I'm okay." Iounus threw him a sharp look. "Look, she's still breathing. She's alive. As long as they're still alive, the healers can heal anything, right?" Audens flashed his charming smile. Taking Iounus' arm, he guided him towards the exit, stopping to grab the coin purse and cloak from the floor. Leading him through the cell door, he made sure to lock it. Though the prisoner was hardly in any condition to escape.

Guiding Iounos back up to the vestibule, Audens continued to soothe him. "She'll be just fine. Probably won't remember anything anyway. Tomorrow is Sundas, and the healer from the temple always comes in, doesn't he? We'll leave her where she is, and if anyone asks we can say she had been attacked by bandits and we'd taken her into protective custody." At that Iounus gave a snort of laughter. Stopping to stand in front of the desk, Audens released Iounus. He held up the heavy coin purse in front of the Imperial jailor's eyes, and was relieved to see that familiar calculating look.

"Since I caused you a bit of a scare, I'm going to up your percentage to four instead of three. We'll count it out together." Audens moved aside the book on the desk and gingerly spread the contents of the coin purse on top. Iounus' frown turned into a huge smile as he saw the small fortune spread out before him.

Audens Avidius was having a good day. A very good day indeed.


	2. Chapter 2:  Baurus' Bad Day

Valen Dreth watched the crumpled Bosmer in the cell opposite him. She hadn't been hideous when he'd first seen her, before Audens lost his temper. She certianly didn't look very good now. She hadn't moved since those Imperial fetchers had left. Perhaps she was dead.

A rumbling in his stomach reminded him that dinner was late. He probably wouldn't get it at all tonight. Whenever one of Audens' special guests spent the night the jailor always seemed to forget to feed the prisoners.

He shook his head as he remembered what he had seen. Not that it had been a good view; Audens' thick body had stood between them. But he had seen the movements of Audens' arms and legs as the blows had been delivered over and over again. And through all that she hadn't made a move to defend herself. The part that caused him no small amount of concern was that she had also never made a sound. Nobody could take a beating like that without making some sound of pain. Personal experience had taught him that.

His thoughts were interrupted as he saw the bundle stir. So she was still alive! His mouth hanging open, he watched her stand up. She was rather tall for a Wood Elf. Her face was a mass of bruises, already turning various shades of pain. Her right arm seemed to hang useless by her side, and her left hand was held strangely, as if clutching some imaginary object. Her slow and jerky movements reminded him of a Dwemer construct he had seen back in Mournhold. A bold adventurer had sold its dented hulk to one of the more eccentric Telvanni wizards, who had employed his strange magic to put it back together to use as a bodyguard. The construct had been an odd sight to see, twitching and jerking after its master through the city streets. A wave of bitterness went through Valen. He'd been shipped off from Morrowind and tossed into this pit to rot. Damn this Bosmer for reminding him of home!

Valen moved to the bars of his cell, as close as he could get. His voice was mocking as he taunted her.

"Well now, a pretty little Wood Elf. You're a little far from the forest, huh? Looks like your days of woodland frolicking have come to a tragic end. To go from the gladed realm of Valenwood to a rat-infested hole like this... how very sad."

Without acknowledging Valen's words, the Bosmer stepped towards the far wall, every movement obviously causing great pain. He watched her lean her right side against the rough stone.

"Those walls must feel like they're closing in on you. Pretty soon you'll go mad, and the guards will cut your throat just to stop the ranting. That's right. You're going to die in here, Wood Elf! Die!" Valen hissed through the bars.

The Bosmer moved away from the wall and stood very still. Suddenly she slammed her right shoulder into the wall and promptly slid down into a heap on the floor.

She still hadn't made a sound.

* * *

Baurus was not happy about how things were turning out. He'd never liked this plan. Taking the Emperor through the Imperial prison down into the sewers and then up to Cloud Ruler Temple with just a handful of Blades had always seemed like a bad idea. But orders were orders, and Baurus was not about to start refusing them. The faint scent of sewage hit his nose, but he was used to that smell by now. Ah, the glamourous life of a Blade. 

He barely paid attention to the words the Emperor was exchanging with Captain Renault. If it didn't concern these shadowy assassins, he didn't really care to hear it. All of his mental alertness was in listening and looking. Talk right now would be a distraction.

He was keeping to the rear of the group, making sure that they weren't being followed. He was surprised when the Captain stopped short in front of the cell door. "What's this prisoner doing in here?" She demanded sharply.

"Prisoner, get up and move to the wall. Stay back." She barked orders to the huddled figure on the floor. Baurus was looking down at the empty hallway they had just passed through when he heard the sharp intake of breath, and turned around to see why.

The Dunmer in the cell was in rough shape. He could tell by the way she moved that she had more than a couple of broken bones. Suddenly he let out a soft curse. That wasn't a Dunmer at all.

He'd been fooled by the blue skin, red eyes, and red hair. The hair was unusual for a Dunmer, but the eyes… He'd never seen a Dunmer with anything other than solid red eyes. But this one had grey eyes the colour of stone. That's when he realized what he was seeing were actually the whites of her eyes, but they were coloured red with blood. Her skin was blue, but also green and purple. He'd seen the results of vicious matches at the Arena, but he'd never seen someone who looked like an entirely different race at the end of it. Her face was swollen, but set in a grim mask of determination.

Renault unlocked the door and gave the signal to proceed. She moved to the left wall, the only one that was built of brick instead of stone. Baurus locked the cell door behind him, giving one last sweeping look at the hallway. Nothing moved but the flickering torches. Turning around, he was surprised to see the Emperor speaking to the prisoner about visions and dreams. He was used to Emperor Uriel's eccentricities by now, but was concerned that perhaps the night's events had damaged his mind. The Emperor was no longer a young man.

Captain Renault had opened the side passage leading out of the cell. "We'd better leave this open. It can't be opened on the other side." She went into the roughly carved passage first, followed by Glenroy and the Emperor. Baurus kept an eye on the prisoner as he made his way to the opening in the wall.

"Looks like today is your lucky day." He joked softly to her. Judging by the tightening in her jaw, he could see she didn't quite agree with that assessment. So much for humour.

The small group of Blades and the Emperor made their way through the ancient Ayleid tunnels. Just as he always did, Baurus couldn't help wondering in the back of his mind what they had looked like all those eras ago, and what the various rooms had been used for. He also cursed the labyrinthine design, with gates, doors, and upper balconies everywhere. He really wasn't happy about this plan.

They were walking through one of the larger open spaces, the sort of room that Baurus always thought must have been a marketplace, albeit a small and underground one. Suddenly a shrill cry broke the silence as masked figures rushed out of the shadows. Pulling his Akaviri katana from its scabbard he moved forward to meet them, making sure to put his body between the Emperor and the attackers. Glenroy and Renault were already engaged in fighting as Baurus found himself staring into the empty eyes of a grinning silver mask. He'd never seen armour like this, and he had seen a lot of different types during his years of service.

The masked figure was wielding what looked like a Daedric mace but it was silver in colour instead of the standard bloody black. Regardless of hue, Baurus had no desire to discover if it hurt as much as a traditional Daedric weapon. Parrying the arcing swing of his attacker, he deflected the mace down and away. Thrown off balance, his attacker stumbled, his body twisting with the force of the mace, presenting Baurus with his side. His unarmoured side. Taking advantage of the opportunity Baurus swung his blade up in an arc, cutting a deep swath along the assassin's chest. The assassin fell down on his knees, blood flowing freely from the wound. Suddenly a fine mist of orange sparks burst off him as he fell to the ground. When the sparks cleared he was dressed in a burgundy robe and hood. Even his mace had disappeared back into whatever void it had been conjured from.

Turning to the others he heard the Emperor softly ask about Captain Renault. The answer made his stomach drop. She was dead. There were now two Blades left to defend the Emperor, and a very long journey ahead with an unknown number of assassins before them or behind them, or maybe even both.

* * *

Wiping the blood from his blade, Baurus looked over at Glenroy. This had been the third group that they had dispatched since Captain Renault's death. Their progress was slow through the ruins, but they were all still relatively unharmed. Perhaps there was a chance after all. 

A noise from behind caused them both to snap their heads in search of the source. Glenroy spotted her first; a pillar blocked Baurus' view.

"It's that damned prisoner. She's one of them. Get her!"

"No!" The sharp order from Uriel Septim halted Glenroy in his tracks. "She is not one of them." He motioned for the prisoner to come closer.

Baurus took the opportunity to scout the room. He couldn't hear much of their exchange as both the Emperor and the prisoner were speaking in low voices. As he moved around the perimeter of the room he caught talk of stars, dragons, and fate. He was growing concerned about Uriel's state of mind. If the reports were to be believed all three of his sons had been murdered. His own heart ached at the thought. He'd known them since they were boys, helped teach them to fight, and watched them grow into men. But he put the hurt from his mind. Tears were no protection against murderers.

Seeing that the talk was over he moved back into formation. Glenroy would take lead while he followed behind, protecting the Emperor's flank. The Imperial, as he guessed her to be based on her eyes, would follow in the rear. Even if the Emperor trusted her, his Blades would never allow her unrestricted access to Uriel's back. Not that she was in any shape for combat, but one sharp knife was all it took.

"You might as well make yourself useful. Here, carry this." He thrust the torch into her left hand. She immediately gasped, dropping the torch to the floor and swaying. Instinctively he put a hand out to grab her back and steady her. This caused a loud moan as she pulled away from him. Looking at her hand, he realized his error. He had thought her hand was in a position ready to grab. It was actually very broken, the fingers curled into stiff claws and swollen at the joints. She couldn't hold a feather.

"I'm sorry, I didn't realize…"

"It's okay." She cut him off. Her voice surprised him. It was clear and steady. While her diction was perfect, he thought he heard a faint accent in her words. "I'm afraid I'm not going to be much use at all. My left hand is broken," here she indicated the claw, "and my right arm has been dislocated." His gaze fell to the dangling arm. While it was unnaturally limp, the shoulder looked to be in alignment. Following his eyes, her words echoed his thoughts. "I popped it back into place, but it isn't functional yet. I've got at least a couple of broken ribs, and my right knee and left ankle have both been sprained."

He looked at her with appraising eyes. If her list of injuries was accurate she was probably in a lot of pain. And she was also incredibly useless in combat. She couldn't punch or kick. "Can you cast spells? Do you have any magic?" A dark flash crossed her face, and he thought he detected a slight hesitation before she answered.

"No, there is no magic that I can cast."

At that point Glenroy called back to them, telling them to hurry along.

* * *

They were almost at the sewers. Baurus could feel his body relax, but just a very tiny bit. The sewers were his territory, and the territory of every Blade who'd ever worked in the Imperial City. It was the route they used when they didn't want anyone to see them watching, or to make sure no one was watching them. One more door, and they would be rid of this Ayleid maze. 

"Hold up. I don't like the look of this." Glenroy halted the group. In front of them was a door, and the gate they wanted was on the right hand wall. Behind the gate the hallway curved sharply away. Assassins could be hiding behind the door or down the hallway past the gate, or both.

Glenroy moved to investigate the gate. Baurus stepped forward, covering the Emperor, blade at the ready.

"Damn it! It's locked from the other side!" Glenroy exclaimed angrily. "It looks like a trap."

"What about the other door?" Baurus asked, indicating the one ahead of them. "It's worth a try."

Glenroy moved forward quietly and threw the door open, sweeping his blade into the space behind it at the same time. There was no one there. He pressed forward into the room beyond. He couldn't keep the dismay out of his voice as he returned.

"It's a dead end. The only way to get to the grate is through that gate." Glenroy pointed with his katana and then suddenly stiffened. Three more of the assassins were there, moving through the now unlocked gate.

"Get into the other room!" Baurus shouted to the Emperor and prisoner. He moved backwards to cover their escape, blocking the entrance to the room. He and Glenroy had taken out this many assassins before, and he was confident they could do it again. One of the assassins ran towards him, mace high above his head ready to strike. Out of the corner of his eye he could see Glenroy fighting off the other two.

Baurus kept his position, waiting until the assassin was almost on top of him to before moving. Ducking and sidestepping the powerful blow, he did a quick turn while slashing with the Akaviri blade. The blade connected with the base of the assassin's neck and severed the spinal column. The shower of orange sparks confirmed that the assassin was no longer a threat.

Moving forward to help Glenroy, he noticed the other man's armour was leaking blood. He ran forward, shouting to attract the attention of the attackers.

"For the Blades!"

The momentary distraction allowed a very pale Glenroy to plunge his blade into the eye of one of the assassins, causing a rain of orange sparks to hit the floor. But in doing so, the other one got a clear swing at his head. With a sickening crack Glenroy fell to the floor. Turning to face Baurus, it seemed as though this man's mask appeared to be grinning wider.

Baurus quickly found that his opponent was skilled. His swings were powerful, though luckily he couldn't seem to connect. But he was fast. Baurus had to dodge the mace as time and again it whistled past his ear. On one particularly violent swing Baurus ducked out of the way, bringing his katana up against the motion of the mace. Except he aimed closer in to the assassin's body. The assassin's arm and mace continued on their path, leaving a trail of orange sparks and blood. Baurus stuck his blade deep into the assassin's side. Another shower of orange sparks confirmed that it was done.

A sudden crash from the room behind him made him turn and run. He could hear a male's voice speaking about 'a bad day to take up with the Septims' as he ran in through the open door. A sight from his nightmares greeted him, and he felt his heart stop. Emperor Uriel Septim VII lay on the floor, blood slowly flowing out from a wound in his head. His blue eyes were staring up at the ceiling, unseeing. The Emperor was dead. The killer turned from the prisoner, who was standing in the corner, and started towards Baurus. With a primal scream of anger Baurus lunged forward, piercing the assassin's heart right through his armour. The too familiar orange sparks let him know that it was all over.

He dropped down to the Emperor's side. Searching the body for any sign of life, he noticed that the Amulet of Kings was missing. Turning his head to speak to the prisoner, he saw that she was clutching the amulet in her right hand. He quickly stood and turned to face her. Before he even got a chance to ask a question, she spoke.

"He gave me the amulet before…" Baurus saw her look away, blinking rapidly. With a deep breath she turned back to him. "He gave it to me before the assassin came through the wall. He told me to take it to a man named Jauffre, and he also told me that there is another heir." She looked at him warily, obviously afraid that he suspected her of some wrongdoing. Baurus let out the breath he didn't realize he'd been holding.

"The Emperor saw something in you. I don't know what it was, but if he wished for you to take the Amulet to Jauffre then I will respect his wishes."

"Oh no, you can have it. I really don't want it." She grimaced as she tried to swing her right hand toward him. He stepped forward, catching her hand in his. Looking into her eyes, he spoke gently.

"The Septim line is said to have the Dragon's blood, an ability to see things that we can't. If Uriel wished for you to carry out this task, then there must have been a good reason for it. As to another heir, I do not know of this. But it doesn't mean that it isn't true. If anyone would know it would be Jauffre. He's the Grandmaster of the Blades. You will find him at Weynon Priory, just outside of Chorrol. Take the amulet to him, and ask about the heir." He pulled a key from his pocket and pressed it into her right hand. "This will open the grate to the sewers. It is where we were headed. I need to stay here with the Emperor, but you should continue on your own. You'll be fine." Managing a smile, he let her hand go.

With a nod of her head, she started walking out of the room. As she reached the open door she turned back.

"Thank you, Baurus. Gods' blessings upon you." With that she walked out of view.

As Baurus settled in to wait for more Blades to arrive, he realized that he didn't even know her name. He wondered what it was.

It wasn't until much later that he wondered how someone with two useless arms was able to open a heavy sewer grate.


	3. Chapter 3:  New Friends

Lilia moved quickly through the sewers, blue healing magic spiraling up and down her body. She kept casting over and over and over again. She ran past the rats and mudcrabs, most of them too lazy to give much of a chase. By the time she reached the exit of the sewers she was breathing hard and fully healed. Seeing the light of dawn shining through the bars she collapsed down beside them, drinking in the cool clean air from outside. She started shaking, emotions wracking her body.

"Damn you all!" She yelled to the ceiling. "What in the Nine Hells was that? Why did I have to go through that?" A violent shudder made her clench her teeth.

Her thoughts replayed the last day's events over again. The same replay that she had seen too many times in her mind as she had run through the sewer tunnels. It seemed to hurt worse each time, and yet she couldn't stop thinking about it. Her mind started at the beginning, when she first realized that she'd lost her magic, and that she couldn't speak. Her body had not been her own as she'd gone to the prison. That particular horror, of having no control over herself, that was something she would never forget. Sudden shakes tore through her.

"Was that a test? Or some sick joke? Are you having fun up there?" Lilia started shouting at the ceiling again, letting her rage flow out in her words. "If you are trying to get me involved in this, I refuse. We had a bargain, and I've held up my end of the agreement. I've waited long enough and I will not be delayed any more!"

She lowered her head and stared at the sewer wall. The curved stone wall glistened with moisture, green moss growing up from the floor. Her words were quiet and bitter.

"A test maybe? Silence my magicka, cripple my body, and make me watch the Emperor die in front of my eyes? But why? To see if I go mad? Some would say I already am." Her mouth twitched into a sardonic smile. "Or was I supposed to save him? How? With my voice, my words? What could I possibly have said to change what happened? That fatalistic bastard chose his end. He welcomed it with open arms."

Shivers ran up and down her body. She clutched her arms tightly around her legs and hugged them to her chest. She was angry with the Emperor, with his talk of stars and fate and visions. He believed that death was his destiny, and he'd walked into it with both eyes open. And taken her and three Blades along for the ride.

But at the same time she mourned his loss bitterly. While he may not have been the best Emperor that Tamriel could have, he had been a good man. She had seen that in his eyes, heard it in his voice. He did not deserve to die like that.

"And there was nothing I could do to stop it. Nothing. Nothing." Lilia repeated the word to herself over and over, quieter and quieter, until she made no noise at all. Her body was still.

With a large sigh, she lifted herself up. She had things to do. Sitting in a sewer wasn't one of them, and staying here couldn't bring the Emperor back. Time to focus on practicalities again.

Reaching down the front of her dress she pulled out the wad of hair that had recently been on her head. Holding it in her hands she gave it one last look and let the fire flow from her fingertips. It couldn't be re-attached, and she wasn't going to leave any mementos behind if she could help it. From touching what hair was left on her head she knew that her new haircut would need to be fixed. She needed a mirror. She looked down at her dress. She also needed a bath.

Reaching to her belt she pulled off the folded cloth. While she didn't relish the idea, she couldn't go wandering around Cyrodiil in a torn, bloody, dirt encrusted dress with her hair in such a state. Especially since she wasn't sure whether or not guards would be searching for her. With her money gone she couldn't buy anything, and she didn't want to risk being caught stealing. Grimacing, she pulled the burgundy robe over her head. The fabric was a coarse weave, and the hem was stained with muck. She pulled the hood up to cover her hair. She hadn't been able to think of any other alternatives as she'd passed by the dead assassin, and she certainly hadn't enjoyed stripping the robe off him. But she needed clothes, and she was practical. Always think about the practicalities. If you focused on the practical things, you didn't have time to think about the messy, emotional, painful things.

One last glance upward. This time her voice was even and firm. "I'll deliver the Amulet, but only because I don't want to hold onto it where I'm going. But after that, it's my turn." With that she pushed open the metal grate and stepped out into the new day.

* * *

She made her way to Weynon Priory. By the time she arrived night was already falling. After an arduous swim across Lake Rumare, Lilia had then headed west towards Chorrol. It had taken her most of the day, but her progress had been slow as she traveled off the main road to avoid the Legion patrols. Her only rest had been a quick stop for a meal of freshly roasted boar, having surprised one during her trek through the forest. A careful fireball spell later and lunch was served. She'd cursed being unarmed – the lack of a blade meant she'd had to tear the warm flesh apart with her hands. She'd supplemented her meal with wild blackberries taken from her makeshift pack. Her tan dress and leather belt had been converted into a serviceable bag, and she'd been sure to gather any ingredients she came across during her journey. She would need to restore her funds, and alchemy was an easy way to do that. 

She stopped and surveyed the Priory, casting her detect life spell as far as she could. Lilia could make out a figure in the fields behind the priory house standing in the middle of a flock of sheep. Another figure was deep in prayer in the small chapel to the side. The priory house itself was larger than the chapel, built in the typical Imperial Temple style. Rough grey stone bricks made up the walls, and a large archway allowed passage to the back fields and stables. Inside she could see two figures, both engaged in reading, or perhaps writing, seated and hunched over a flat surface. From past experience she knew that the interior most likely held a dining room and common area on the main floor, with bedrooms on one or both sides of the house upstairs. She'd sometimes seen one side of the upstairs quarters converted into something else, like a healing centre, library, or office. She looked up at the second floor. If that figure was seated behind a desk, then she had a good idea of where Jauffre might be.

Briefly considering the idea of climbing up the wall and entering through the window, she quickly dismissed the thought. She may or may not be wanted by the authorities, but this was the secret headquarters of the Blades, the bodyguards of the Emperor. Such an entrance after the events of the past day would surely be unwelcome.

Pushing open one of the pair of heavy oak doors, as she stepped into the priory house she could see her assumptions had been correct. There was a large round wooden table in the centre of the room, chairs pushed in around it. A small fire flickered in the massive carved stone fireplace, and a giant rug, a little threadbare but brightly coloured, helped to cheer up the grey stone room. Lilia noticed several sheets of parchment on the table, some crumpled into balls, and a copy of the Black Horse Courier. The headline simply read Assassinations! She could guess at the rest of the text.

A young Imperial stood up from his chair. His dark brown hair was cut in the standard tonsure style, as the halo of hair that ringed his head was referred to. His brown hair and brown eyes matched his light brown robe, an indicator of his low status in the temple hierarchy.

"Welcome to Weynon Priory. I'm Brother Piner. And you are?"

"Looking for Jauffre." She had no desire for small talk.

The Imperial arched an eyebrow and took a good look at the figure in front of him. Dressed in dirty burgundy robes, her hood pulled down as far as it could go, there wasn't much to see. Unusual visitors looking for Jauffre were a usual occurrence at the priory. With a small sigh he nodded his head to the upper floor.

"He's up in his office." He watched the hooded figure walk up the stairs. Shaking his head, he turned back to the table and the letter he was writing and re-writing to his mother. Trying to calm her hysterics was like trying to dance with a goblin, but about half as much fun.

Walking quickly, she strode through the open door and over to the desk at the far side of the room. So this was the Grandmaster of the Blades. She could see signs of the Breton's age on his face, wrinkles puckering the skin around his lips and eyes, but the grace and speed at which he stood was that of a young man in his prime. His blue eyes flashed. She could see the cunning and intelligence that lay behind them. She guessed that he was a man many people underestimated, but she would not share their mistake.

"What are you doing here?" Jauffre's question surprised her. If Baurus had sent word to his superiors, Jauffre should be expecting her. He wouldn't be asking her this.

"I've brought you the Amulet of Kings." She placed the large red stone on the desk. She watched his eyes move back and forth between her and the amulet. Mildly annoyed, she realized he was puzzled. Lilia also got the feeling that she was missing something important.

"Where did you get this?" He demanded. Jauffre had the familiar cultured accent of High Rock. Judging by his inflection she guessed him to be from the Iliac Bay region.

"I was there when the Emperor died. He gave it to me to give to you." She saw his face tighten, his blue eyes locking on hers.

"Perhaps you'd better explain yourself." It was a command, not a request.

As briefly as she could she outlined her journey with the Emperor and his bodyguards through the ancient ruins under the Imperial City. Jauffre listened intently, noting that she was leaving out details. A lot of details.

"What were the Emperor's exact words? What did he say to you?"

Reaching into her memories, she recalled as best she could. "Take this amulet to Jauffre. You must find my son, relight the dragonfires, and close shut the jaws of Oblivion."

Jauffre nodded slowly. He lowered himself back into his chair behind the desk. "The Emperor's illegitimate son is a secret known only to a select few. He lives…"

"I don't care where he lives." She quickly cut him off. "And I don't care to know. I was to deliver the amulet to you, and that's been done. You're the Grandmaster of the Blades, you find the heir." With that she turned on her heel and stalked out of the room.

Jauffre leaned back and stared at a spot on the far wall. He remained motionless for some time, the only movement coming from the dancing of light off his pale blue eyes.

* * *

"Lilia, I have a message for you from Armand." Methredhel stepped towards the chair that the woman in front of her had indicated. She never could seem to sneak up on this new thief, no matter how hard she tried. As she sat down on the wobbly chair, she turned to look at her new friend. She saw the smiling mixed-blood woman look at her, mischief sparkling in her eyes. A far cry from when they first met. 

It had been three weeks since Methredhel had met the strange mer in the Garden of Dareloth at midnight. Standing in the small backyard on the Waterfront, she had been making small talk with the Argonian beggar Amusei and Armand Christophe when Lilia had walked up. She was a new arrival to the waterfront, but had somehow managed to convince Puny Ancus to help her find the Thieves' guild. Methredhel had been annoyed when this third prospective member caused Armand to suddenly declare a contest for entrance into the guild, and had been hopping mad when this stranger managed to beat her at stealing Amantius Allectus' diary.

Her anger melted away after the stranger approached her and asked for help. Needing someone who knew how to make discreet inquiries, Methredhel couldn't ignore the fear she saw in Lilia's face as she explained that she might be wanted by the city guards. A quick story about having her money stolen by a corrupt Imperial watchman had been all Methredhel needed to hear. Methredhel's own experiences with the city guard had never turned out well, and though she was mercenary by nature, she did have a kind heart.

Lilia had been delighted to hear that she had no bounty when the Bosmer visited her in her shack. It was the last rotting house in a row of similar structures, made of weathered grey planks and featured an alarmingly leaning porch roof. It had recently been sold, and Methredhel had always been a little surprised at the brazenness of her friend in staying there when the new owners could arrive at any time. She never suspected that Lilia was the new owner. In the blunt style of the Bosmer, Methredhel had voiced her disapproval of Lilia's bizarre haircut, and took it upon herself to cut it into something of a style. The back was still a bit too short, but it would grow out soon enough. It was during this haircut that Methredhel realized her assumption that the newcomer was a Breton was wrong. Lifting a longer side lock of red hair, she discovered an unusual ear. It was roughly the same shape and size as those of men, but the tip was pointed like those of mer. A quick look confirmed that the other one matched. Asking her friend about it, Lilia revealed that she was indeed a mixture of races, including Bosmer. She never did say what the other ones were, but the two had a policy of don't ask, don't tell. Methredhel didn't mind, as she had her own secrets to keep.

"Been hanging around Armand again? And how is the Waterfront's most desirable mixed-blood bachelor?" Lilia laughingly asked the Wood Elf. She knew Methredhel had a crush on the half-Redguard, half-Breton Thieves Guild doyen, and suspected that the feeling was mutual. She figured that was one of the reasons Methredhel was accepted into the guild only a week after herself, even though Armand had said that there were too many members already.

Methredhel giggled. "He's fine."

"I know you think he's fine. That's why I asked." teased Lilia.

"You are terrible, you know. He wants to speak to you tonight about a special job. Usual time and place." Armand insisted on meeting outside at midnight. He didn't trust the flimsy walls of his shack enough to speak freely indoors. He said you never could be sure who might be listening on the other side.

"So the journey to Bruma was worth it." Lilia's mind flashed back to the quick trip up north. Her fence, Ongar the World Weary, had been so drunk she had been able to sell her entire collection of home made potions pretending that they were stolen goods. He'd paid her 200 gold for the lot, which was less than they would have sold for in a more conventional store, but she needed to raise her standing in the guild. She had made a few purchases while there, and returned with a light purse and some fine Nord mead. She and Methredhel had a great night laughing about Ongar's foolishness over the honeyed brew.

Lately she'd been growing frustrated. While she had enjoyed her talks with Methredhel and the other unusual characters that lived on the Waterfront, the trail she had been following seemed to have grown cold. Hiding in her house, hoping that Audens wouldn't decide to someday look up her address, she was getting restless. Lilia knew working for the Thieves Guild would aid her in her private search, but she wasn't sure how to make it happen faster. Perhaps this assignment would help.

After toast and tea Methredhel had taken her leave. It always amazed Lilia that the thieves she met didn't truly seem to be interested in wealth. Sure, they took what they could, but she often suspected it had more to do with the challenge and excitement of not getting caught than the actual prize itself. Lying on her bedroll, she stared up at the sagging timbers and said a few prayers to Stendarr until the large moon Masser was in view through the solitary window. She knew that it must be midnight, if not later.

Casting a quick detect life spell, she made sure that Armand wasn't home. His house was right beside her own, almost against the massive walls that curved around the docks. Satisfied that he had already left, she made her way to the Garden.

"Greetings pickpocket." Armand often used Lilia's rank instead of her name. He was wearing his leather armour, as always, and had his long straight brown hair pulled back in a ponytail. "Ongar tells me that you've been busy. Strange that I haven't noticed you ever leaving the Waterfront, and yet you've fenced 200 septims worth of goods." He paused to look at his new thief. Her expression unreadable, he continued. "Your remarkable ability to move about unseen should be an asset on this assignment. Now tell me, have you ever been to Cheydinhal?"


	4. Chapter 4:  Tall, Dark, and Deadly

Standing in front of the Chapel of Arkay, Lilia surveyed the scene in front of her. Dusk was falling, and the plastered houses were a pale shade of pink in the faltering sunlight. Taking the bust of Llathasa Indarys, recently deceased Countess of Cheydinhal, had been an incredibly easy task. The Nord warrior assigned to guard the bust was clad in heavy armour, stomping from side to side in the chapel undercroft. Lilia had watched through the door, using her detect life spell, until the guard was almost on the far side of the undercroft. She had cast a strong chameleon spell and slipped inside to the quiet crypt. Moving in bare feet she had slid through the shadows every time the Nord woman's back was turned. Lilia smiled to herself. She had even had the foresight to find a chunk of white stone, taken from the detritus around an Aylied ruin, and had blasted it with magicka until it was the approximate shape and size of a female head. Judging by the single mindedness of the Nord guard, who never once deviated in her trek from one side of the croft and back again, the switch probably wouldn't be discovered for hours.

She let her detect life spell widen. Suddenly she felt a sharp force, as if someone had reached inside of her and pulled her forward. She slid back against the chapel walls, quickly casting an invisibility spell. She could feel the cool stones against her back. She watched as an invisible figure came into view, headed towards the abandoned house across the street. Judging by the size and shape the purple glow made in her mind's eye, it was a male. She could easily feel evil emanating from him, sensing it as though tendrils of terrible cold were coiling around her ankles. Watching unseen she saw him slip into the house, tracking his progress down into the cellar. Suddenly the shape vanished. Looking around, Lilia confirmed that her detect life spell hadn't failed. Either this man had teleported, or else he had entered someplace strongly shielded against detection magic.

Her pulse racing with excitement, she inched to the corner of the chapel, hiding behind a small willow. She would wait all night if she had to, but she would not budge until she saw the glow return.

Fortunately for Lilia the purple shape returned shortly after eleven. The tugging feeling confirmed that it was the same man. From her vantage point she watched him walk towards the footbridge, heading towards the west side of the city. Maintaining her invisibility, she made her way to the east bank of the bubbling creek that separated the town into two halves. She waited as she watched the man make his way into the alley behind the guild halls. Taking the opportunity she slipped off her shoes and quickly ran across the bridge, letting the muscles of her feet rise and fall in the controlled manner that she had been taught. The wooden planks under her didn't make a sound. Standing at the edge of the bridge she watched the man start walking again, this time towards the west gate. The massive wooden gates had been shut for the night; the two halves of the coiled serpent and crown motif of Cheydinhal wrought in iron on the doors reflected the dancing light of the street lamps.

Much to her surprise the invisible figure was now visible. It was definitely a man, tall and athletically built. He moved with the grace of a Khajiiti acrobat, his strides long and purposeful. He wore a fitted black cloak with matching hood, and had black leather gloves and boots. He was heading to speak to the guards.

"Ah, Lucien, good to see you again." The smaller of the two guards greeted the robed man. The taller guard flinched and moved away.

"As I've told you before, it's Mr. Lachance. Now open the gate." The man's voice was deep and held an undercurrent of danger. The small guard almost tripped over his own feet as he opened one of the gate doors, apologizing the whole time for his error. Lilia would swear that the taller one was holding his breath. Without waiting for the gate to open fully, Lucien slipped out into the night. The short guard quickly pulled the gate closed and locked it again, after dropping the keys twice.

Not wanting the town guards to know she'd left town, as they didn't even know she had entered it, Lilia moved south along the town wall, watching the man she now knew as Lucien through the thick stone blocks. Not wanting to risk disrupting her invisibility spell, and not confident that even her strongest chameleon spell would keep her hidden from the man she tracked, she reached up and found a finger hold where the mortar between the wall blocks had crumbled away. Moving as quickly as she dared she climbed the wall. Crouching at the top she gave silent thanks to Stendarr to see that Lucien hadn't retrieved a horse from the stables. He was walking west along the Blue Road at a quick pace. As quietly as she could she climbed down the wall and headed west, after Lucien.

Now that she'd finally found him, she had no idea what to do next.

* * *

Lucien had chosen to walk to Bravil. It was only a few hours journey, and he didn't feel like going back to Fort Farragut to retrieve his horse, Shadowmere. She'd been difficult on the last trip, trying to bite his hands and she'd once stopped suddenly from a fast gallop, almost throwing him off. While she was the fastest horse in Cyrodiil, she was also the most cantankerous. She didn't like traveling from her home too frequently, so Lucien often found himself walking when his reason for traveling wasn't too urgent. He'd once tried to discipline her while she was in a foul mood; his bruises had lasted a month. He thanked Sithis that none of his fellow assassins had witnessed the incident. 

As he headed south along the Red Ring highway, he couldn't shake the feeling that he was being watched. He'd done his standard evasive tactics but had been unable to find anyone. His detect life spells had revealed nothing but deer. He walked along a section of road that passed through a small forest. He could hear the Rumare lapping against the shore to his right. He could also hear drunken singing coming from further up the road. Stopping, he quickly cast his invisibility spell. He stood still, listening to the voices. From the off-key sounds he could hear a male Nord, a female Khajiit, and a male and female elf. He always found the accents of the elven races hard to determine from a distance.

He was about to start walking again when he saw a dark figure emerge from the trees in front of him. The person was clothed entirely in black, hood drawn, with a small black pouch strapped to its back. Crouching low, the figure made its way along the road, towards the source of the music. Intrigued, Lucien waited a few minutes and then followed, moving soundlessly.

The dark figure crept back into the trees, moving forward until just a few feet from the edge of the woods, next to the clearing where the bandit camp was located. Lucien entered the trees as well. The black figure was hard to spot, but he could see the round outline of the top of the head silhouetted against the campfire. Minutes passed, as Lucien learnt the words to _The Lonely Farmer's Daughter and Her Magic Carrot._ He grinned to himself. What would the members of his sanctuary think of their beloved speaker if he taught them this song?

Finally the song ended, and the Nord stood up. "I'll be right back. Don't open the sujamma without me." he slurred. The other bandits moaned and began heckling the Nord, joking that he should have been named Sven Broken-Bladder. With a few choice curses the Nord left the group and walked behind the tents, heading towards the forest.

Lucien watched the dark figure creep among the trees towards the large man. He tensed as he waited for the kill, the cries of the others, and the ensuing battle. Sven fumbled with his coarse linen pants. With surprising speed the figure stepped out next to the Nord, silver dagger embedding itself into the base of his skull before he could even turn his head. The figure caught the large man as he collapsed, and quickly tore a section of the Nord's shirt out from under his leather armour. Wadding it into a ball, the dark figure pushed it against the bleeding wound and lifted the Nord up, carrying him back into the forest.

Lucien was impressed. With the help of the moonlight he had been able to determine that it was a female, and she was obviously skilled. Not many people knew about the spot at the back of the head that would kill instantly, and fewer were accurate enough to hit it on the first try.

After a few minutes the remaining bandits started calling to Sven. They drunkenly argued amongst themselves about who was going to go looking for the Nord, after having agreed that he had most likely fallen asleep on his feet again. The male Wood Elf, Gelthor, was chosen by the women to go look. Both loudly stated that they certainly didn't want to find him if he'd fallen asleep without re-fastening his breeches.

The Bosmer stumbled behind the tents, calling out Sven's name. The female bandits launched into a loud and colourful conversation about their experiences with the contents of other men's breeches. Gelthor tripped over a rock and fell heavily to the ground. Before he could stand again the female assassin was on him, dagger quickly sliding into the back of his neck. As with her last kill she tore the Wood Elf's shirt from his body and wadded it up against the bleeding puncture. She lifted up the body and returned to the trees.

Lucien was now feeling unsettled. He wasn't sure what he was watching, but he quickly thought over the recent list of contracts. He was sure there wasn't anything about a bandit, or bandit camp, being eliminated. The other assassin was skilled, and if she wasn't Dark Brotherhood, then she might be Morag Tong. He slid his dagger out of its sheath. The reassuring weight of the poisoned ebony blade soothed him. Whatever was happening, he was ready.

The female bandits were now calling for both Gelthor and Sven, an edge of nervousness easily heard in their voices. After a few minutes of bickering over whether to go look for them, or to stay by the campfire, or to run away down the road, the Khajiit stood up.

"This one has had enough of your orders. This one knows when something is wrong, and this one is leaving." The Khajiit picked up her heavy iron war hammer and started moving towards the road. The Dunmer cursed, grabbing her bow and standing with her back to the campfire, she notched an arrow in preparation. With that she faced towards the tents, where the men had last been seen.

"You go Trissi, but don't be surprised when you get your throat slit."

Lucien felt the air move as the assassin ran past him, heading through the trees towards the area where the clearing met the road. She hadn't made a sound as she sped through the dense undergrowth. He was glad that he'd been sure to renew his invisibility spell. Turning, he watched as she slid out from the trees, stabbing the Khajiit in the same place as the others as Trissi walked toward the road. This time the assassin simply pulled off the Khajiit's skirt, placing it against the back of her head and lifted her into the bushes.

"Trissi, wait! Come back here! If you don't get your mangy butt back here right now, you'll never work with us again!" The Dunmer called out to the Khajiit, never moving her eyes from the tents. "Trissi?"

A sudden sound from behind her caused the Dark Elf to turn. The light from the campfire made it difficult to see, and she squinted to spot the source of the sound.

Lucien had seen the black figure creep up to the tents, being careful not to stray into the Dark Elf's line of sight. He saw the large rock go sailing far up over the Dunmer's head, landing against a group of stones behind her. The noise caused the bandit to turn, and that was all the assassin needed. Just like the others she quickly moved forward, dagger gracefully plunging up into the Dunmer's skull. As with the Nord she reached under the leather armour and pulled out a handful of cloth. This time, instead of carrying the corpse to the trees, she headed down to the sandy banks of the Rumare.

Lucien stood motionless as he watched her lift each body and carry it down to the lake. She took the fourth bandit down to the water and didn't return. After a few minutes of waiting curiosity got the better of him. Lucien moved along the ring of trees towards the water until he could see what was happening. What he saw certainly wasn't what he'd expected.

The assassin had stripped the armour, weapons, and clothes off the bandits. It was separated into two piles – metal and everything else. She stood waist deep in the water, the partially dismembered body of the Khajiit floating in front of her. The Khajiit's face was covered with her bloodstained skirt, which had been tied around her neck. Her right arm and leg were already missing, and the assassin was busy cutting the left leg off at the knee. With a morbid fascination Lucien watched as she severed at the hip, the forearm, and the shoulder. He noticed that the other bodies were partially in the water, the blood soaked strips of cloth tied around their necks floating in the surf.

As the assassin released the torso of the Khajiit into the water, he heard small clicking sounds. Mud crabs, attracted by the scent of fresh blood, were swimming towards the various pieces of Trissi. Without even looking at them, the assassin pulled the Nord into the water and proceeded to do the same thing. Lucien watched as more mud crabs swam up to investigate. Two of them were battling over what looked like Sven's upper arm.

As she cut apart the Dunmer an intrepid mud crab swam up to the assassin, following the freshest scent of blood. Without pausing in her work she finished detaching the left forearm, and holding it by the hand she used it as a club to knock the mud crab out of the water, sending it flying in an arc to land with a large splash a few feet away. After a couple of repeat performances on more of the curious creatures, using an upper arm and a lower leg, the mud crabs seemed to keep their distance.

Finishing with the Wood Elf the assassin came closer to shore, the water lapping at her knees. Lucien watched her walk a little way up the coast, noting that she was staying in the water where her footprints would be washed away. Once she was a reasonable distance away from the feasting crabs she walked into the water until it was up to her shoulders, and then dropped under the surface. He saw her stand, and again plunge into the water. He knew she was washing away any traces of blood. After a few more dunks she headed back to the shore.

Her next act was to take the metal armour and weapons and throw the pieces far into the lake, letting them sink to the bottom. She grabbed the bundle of everything else and headed back to the camp. Lucien saw her open a large bottle, most likely the sujamma, and after tossing the clothes on the fire she poured out the contents of the bottle. With a large flash the fire quickly consumed everything.

She headed towards Lucien's position in the trees. Holding his breath, he could still feel the cold sensation of his invisibility spell against his skin. Not daring to move, he watched her pull out a large branch from the forest floor. Walking backwards towards the water she swept the leaves back and forth across the sand, erasing all footprints. When she reached the water she tossed the branch onto the wet sand and put one foot on it to keep it from washing away. Her footprints had been erased, but the sand was too smooth to be natural. He watched with amusement as she grabbed two mud crabs from behind, careful to keep her hands away from their claws, and tossed them onto the sand. Over and over again she threw startled mud crabs onto the beach, making sure to select those that had already eaten their fill. Looking at the surface of the water Lucien realized that all of the body parts had disappeared, and the mud crabs were slowly making their way back to their own territory.

When she was satisfied that the beach looked normal, she walked through the shallow water to where the trees were closest to the sand. Laying the long branch on the ground, she walked along its length and then hopped into the bushes. She made her way through the trees until she reached the point where the grass began to grow, and stepped out. Lucien watched as she checked the fire, and then headed into a tent, pulling the canvas door closed behind her.

Casting his detect life spell, he watched as the woman moved around inside. She seemed to be re-arranging the furniture, and her movements indicated that she had changed clothes. Finally he saw her stretch out on the ground. Looking up at the sky, Lucien guessed that there were only a couple hours of darkness left. He stepped forward into the clearing. He'd made up his mind that regardless of her origins, he was going to have a chat with this mystery assassin. If she was Morag Tong he would have to kill her as a matter of principle, and if she was Dark Brotherhood he was looking forward to an interesting conversation about what he had just seen. And if she was freelance, well…

Waiting for the Serpent to crest over the horizon, Lucien realized that whoever she was, she'd just killed four people without leaving a trace. No sign of struggle, no hint of violence. It was as if they had all just vanished off the face of Nirn. Judging his wait at having lasted at least an hour, he turned to look at the tent. He'd been casting his detect life spell periodically, and the sleeping figure hadn't stirred. He noted a soft glow halfway up the wall behind the tan canvas. He guessed that she had left a couple of candles lit on a table. Keeping his dagger in his right hand, he hid it behind his back. Letting his invisibility spell finally lapse, he used his left hand to lift the fabric door and stepped inside.

He stopped in his tracks when he saw her quickly rise to meet him. Taking in the red hair, darkly lined grey eyes, and tight black dress he almost stumbled when she spoke to him, her voice a soft purr. It was very rare for him to be surprised by anything anymore, but she'd managed to do just that.

"Welcome, Mr. Lachance. I've been waiting for you." Lifting a dark green bottle off the table, she motioned for him to sit. "Care for some sujamma?"


	5. Chapter 5:  Inns and Outs

The plan had come to her as she started to panic. Dawn would break in a few hours, and Lilia still didn't know how to attract his attention without killing him or getting killed herself. When she heard the bandits' loud singing she'd quickly moved forward to investigate. A brief look at them confirmed that they were all murderers, souls dark with sin. They would do quite nicely.

She'd heard the rumours. They said that the Dark Brotherhood came to you in your sleep, after you'd killed. Well, here was a Dark Brotherhood assassin, and she was about to demonstrate just how effectively she could kill.

It had been easy to dispatch the bandits. They were literally falling down drunk. She could have taken them all out much quicker with a few well-placed spells, but decided that stealth would be the more impressive skill to display. Though she did use a little magical aid to make her skills look a little more impressive.

Cutting up the corpses hadn't been fun, and she had almost emptied her stomach a couple of times. Though they deserved death, she preferred not to disrespect the dead. But she knew that Lucien was watching, so she used every trick that she could remember. Gods, she hated mud crabs. She would certainly never eat their meat again.

After removing all traces of her activities she entered the largest tent. She was pleased to find an unopened bottle of sujamma on the small table, along with a couple of relatively clean looking tin mugs. She pushed the table closer to the wall, careful to keep the candles from getting too near to the gently flapping fabric. She set the two rough stools beside the table, and stripped off her sodden clothes. Everything had been purchased in Bruma, along with a few other necessities. Taking the marble bust of Llathasa out of her pack, she pulled out her new black dress. It was of fine quality, and tight in all the right places. It reminded her of the ones she'd seen being worn by the more 'sociable' ladies of the high courts. More nervous than she'd ever been, she dressed and carefully applied her make up. She didn't know what it would take to keep both her and Lucien alive, but she didn't want to even attempt a charm spell on that man. If he detected it all of this work would be for nothing, and she would have to start searching all over again. She decided to use everything she had, even if that included her physical assets.

Shoving the bust back into her pack, she surveyed the room. Satisfied that she'd done everything she could, she lay down in the corner of the tent on the hard bedroll. In her mind she prayed to Stendarr for strength, forgiveness, and luck. After what seemed like forever, she sensed him approach the tent. She knew he held his dagger behind his back, and watched without moving as the door silently opened. Rising as quickly as possible, she put on her most come hither smile, and let her voice go soft.

"Welcome, Mr. Lachance." She was careful to pronounce his name the proper way, as he had to the guards. "I've been waiting for you." As gracefully as she could she lifted the bottle with her right hand, sweeping her left towards the squat table. "Care for some sujamma?"

She let her left hand return to her side as she kept her smile fixed on the assassin. She was surprised to see the dark brown eyes that looked out from under the hood. She'd expected a pale Breton, not a dark-haired Imperial. So he was also of mixed descent. She didn't move as he stared at her, eyes sweeping up and down her body.

"Gods, he's probably looking for the easiest spot to stab me." She thought to herself.

"For such a hard working murderer, you don't seem to sleep at all." He finally spoke, not moving from his spot. Was that a small smile on his lips?

"How could I sleep when I knew you were coming to visit?" She asked him, letting her left shoulder gently dip towards Lucien in what she hoped was an attractive manner. If only she could get him to sit down. If she could convince him to drink with her, then she knew her life would be safe.

"And how did you know I would be coming to visit? How did you know my name?" His words were low and slow. He didn't sound angry. That worried her a little.

"I confess. I've been following you." She tried not to add "please don't stab me now" to the end of her sentences. "And I know you've been following me. Did you like my little show? I put it on just for you." She smiled at him again.

"Who are you working for?" She saw his eyes lock onto hers. Ah, so he thought she was another assassin, a professional. Assassins weren't known for playing well together.

"I'm not working for anyone. I just needed a place to sleep." She definitely saw a smile on his face now. Was that a good thing?

"Allow me to introduce myself, though you already know my name. I'm Lucien Lachance, Speaker for the Dark Brotherhood. May I have the pleasure of knowing yours?" She felt her knees go soft with relief. Perhaps he wasn't going to try and kill her after all.

"I'm Lilia. Please, Mr. Lachance, have a seat." She again indicated the stools.

"Lilia. A unique name for a unique lady." Sheathing his blade, he pushed his hood back off his head and sat down at the table. He had long brown hair with a few strands of grey, pulled back with a black band. Lifting up one of the tin mugs he smiled at her. "Call me Lucien. I believe you offered some sujamma?"

* * *

She was exhausted when she reached Faregyl Inn. After Lucien had left the tent she knew trying to sleep would be pointless, and by the time she reached the small inn in the middle of nowhere she'd been awake for almost two days. 

The meeting had gone better than she expected. Lucien had been surprisingly talkative, speaking eloquently about the Dark Brotherhood, Sithis, and the Night Mother. He even offered her a chance to join their 'unique family,' as he referred to it.

He hadn't seemed surprised when she listed the terms on which she would accept the offer. She'd told him that she only killed those she deemed worthy. She wouldn't waste her time or talents on lover's quarrels or business rivals. Only those who had already spilled blood were esteemed enough in her eyes to die by her hand. At this he'd smiled in a way that made her blood run cold. The whole time he sat with her in the tent she had to fight a strong urge to faint. She rarely came so close to such evil.

She paused before entering the inn. From what Lucien had told her the Inn of Ill Omen lay a short walk down the road. Looking around she saw nothing but tall trees and the broken columns of a wayshrine to the Nine. She had automatically started towards it when she saw the familiar cluster of white marble columns, but stopped herself before she got too close. She was supposed to be a dark-hearted child of Sithis, not a devotee of the Aedra.

After a short haggle with the Khajiiti innkeeper Lilia made her way upstairs to the far bedroom at the end of the hall. Locking the door with both the key and magic, she didn't bother undressing before collapsing onto the straw-stuffed bed.

Waking after a dreamless sleep, Lilia wasn't surprised to see stars through her window. Looking closely at the location of the various constellations she guessed that it was around eleven at night. Still too early for her to head out.

The only other furniture in the room besides the bed was a battered chest of drawers, a mismatched pitcher and bowl precariously balanced on top. She elected to sit on the bed and opened her pack. Taking out a small loaf of bread she quickly ate it. Even though she was still hungry and desperately thirsty she didn't dare eat or drink anything else. She'd been taught that assassins never knew how long a contract might take, so it was safer to just keep your stomach and bladder empty, rather than try to answer the call of nature while hiding in a closet.

She pulled out the ebony dagger strapped to her left side that Lucien had given her. She still wasn't sure where he'd drawn it from; it was as if it had just appeared in his hand. She suspected he'd had it either strapped to his arm or leg. Examining the edges she realized that he was correct in calling it a 'virgin' blade. Once again she wondered why he carried an unused dagger, and just how many he kept on his person.

She had been surprised when he'd accepted her terms. He'd explained that she wasn't the first family member with discriminating tastes, and so long as she was an asset to the Brotherhood she would be free to kill only those she wished to. With another smile he told her about the weak old man named Rufio who slept away his days in the Inn of Ill Omen. By killing him she would be accepted into the Dark Brotherhood. If she let him live, then that would be interpreted as having declined the invitation to join.

Thoughts of Lucien filled her mind as she watched the stars slowly move across the sky. Time was beginning to catch up with him, small lines pulling at the corners of his eyes. She'd already noted that a handful of his hairs were grey. Despite his Breton last name she was sure that he had been born and raised in Cyrodiil by his unaccented speech. She remembered his voice, low and steady, words slow and measured. He frightened her terribly, but at the same time fascinated her, the way a two-headed kagouti would. As something unusual, foreign, and dangerous, best viewed from a distance.

When she felt it was two in the morning she stood up. Looking down at the floorboards she saw large gaps between them. Kneeling down and peering through the cracks she could determine that the innkeeper was asleep. Glancing with magical aid towards the other rooms she saw that the two other people she'd noticed when she'd entered the inn were also asleep. She remembered the strange snatches of conversation she'd caught. The female Khajiit had been trying to convince the male Breton that he needed to get her some potatoes. Or ogres. She'd been too tired to try to figure out which.

Leaving the door locked she quietly slid open the window. The gap was just large enough to permit her to squeeze through. The distance was short, so she allowed herself to fall easily down to the ground. Casting her invisibility spell she quickly hopped over the low stone fence and headed further south down the road.

Coming around a curve in the road she saw the inn directly ahead. A chestnut horse, fitted with an Imperial Legion saddle, was tied outside to the hitching post. The inn looked much the same as the one up the road. It was also a combination of rough stone and plaster, the roof thatched with straw. Letting her mind's eye pass through the walls she saw several shapes. A large male was sleeping behind the counter, most likely the innkeeper. Another male shape was seated in a chair by the door, but his lack of movement indicated that he too was most likely asleep. Two more figures lay sleeping on the inn's upper floor. A lone figure, slighter than the others, seemed to be sleeping in the cellar. Standing near him was a tall familiar shape. Interesting.

She grabbed hold of a piece of wood that framed the plaster walls and climbed up the side of the inn. Peeking into the windows she saw that neither room contained an old withered man. Satisfied, she moved quietly to the third window. She slid it open and slipped inside.

Checking the door she was relieved to find it unlocked. After grabbing the pillow from the empty bed she carefully made her way down the stairs barefoot, making sure to keep to the edges so the boards wouldn't creak. She came to the common area. A brief smile crossed her face when she saw that her precautions might not have been warranted. The large Nord tavern owner was snoring loudly, mixing with the somewhat softer snores coming from the drunken Imperial Forester asleep in the chair. Glad for the noise, Lilia crept over to a trapdoor under the stairs. It seemed to be the only entrance to the space below.

Casting a modified silence spell on the hinges she pulled open the hatch and lowered herself down, closing it behind her. She found herself in a dark stone hallway, two doors set into the left hand wall. The air was noticeably cooler down here, but it didn't hide the familiar feeling of cold around her ankles. The prone figure was lying behind the far door.

She let her invisibility spell lapse. Creeping down the hall she found the door to be locked. Touching the lock with her hand she let her alteration magic lift the tumblers up into place. Slipping into the room she quickly glanced around.

The man she assumed to be Rufio was asleep on the bed. He was lying face up, his long white hair spread across his pillow. There was a small chest at the end of the bed, and two dressers made up the rest of the furniture in the room. Standing in the far corner stood an invisible figure. Moving quickly she brought the pillow up in front of her. In one fluid motion she was straddling Rufio, knees pinning down the old man's shoulders, arms pushing down the pillow on either side of his head. Despite Rufio's struggles she held firm, watching as the purple glow beneath her finally faded away. Rufio's body lay still. Stepping off him she quickly posed his corpse back into the position he'd been lying in when she'd entered the room, tucking in the blankets he'd managed to kick off. A quick look confirmed that there were no marks, and he looked as though he had peacefully died in his sleep. That was exactly what she hoped everyone would think had happened.

Turning to go, she paused briefly and whispered to the unmoving figure in the corner. "Faregyl Inn, only room with a window." With that she retraced her route back up through the inn, careful to replace the pillow and close the window behind her.


	6. Chapter 6:  Meet the Family

Standing in front of the abandoned house in Cheydinhal in the early morning light Lilia took a deep breath to calm her nerves. She'd managed to survive her second encounter with Lucien Lachance. He'd joined her in her room at the Faregyl Inn as she was quickly making short work of the edible contents of her pack. She'd already drained the water from the chipped pitcher on the dresser.

He'd welcomed her to the family. His talk of covenants with Sithis had worried her. She didn't feel any different. Would a person know if their soul was forfeit? She'd reassured herself that her soul was still her own. By the time he'd finished reciting the five tenets she'd been fighting to keep a straight face. She couldn't help but be amused by the constant repetition of "To do so is to invoke the Wrath of Sithis," said each time as if it was a surprise. Instinct had told her that the assassin before her, her new Speaker, probably had some sense of humour, but not when it came to the Dark Brotherhood.

If she read him correctly he had been amused by the threats of her wrath should he assign her contracts that went against the conditions she had laid out. Several times she'd thought he was about to ask her something, but he never did. Lilia hoped that all the assassins she met were as able to contain their curiosity. She wanted to answer as few questions as possible.

She looked again at the door in front of her. It was weathered and stained with dirt. A simple lock held it shut. Glancing around once more, even though she was invisible, Lilia magically opened the door and slipped inside. People might not be able to see her, but they would certainly see the door move. She heard the lock click back into place as she shut it behind her.

The first floor of the abandoned house looked more mundane than she expected. She rolled her eyes at herself. What had she been expecting? Piles of skulls in the corner, the walls painted in blood? As if that would be discreet. Broken boxes and shattered furniture littered the room. Dust lay thick everywhere, and she could see the small footprints that some animal, most likely rats, had left. She saw a stairway rising up to the second floor, and a door underneath the stairwell that most likely led to the basement. Lucien had told her the entrance to the sanctuary lay down there.

She entered the basement, which looked just as mundane as the first floor, except for the large hole that had been knocked in the far wall. Making her way down the rough earthen tunnel her heartbeat grew faster. She could feel something ahead of her. Stepping around a sharp curve she froze.

A large rounded stone door lay before her. A strange carving of a woman lifting a dagger towards five small men was the only decoration on it. Looking at the grooves of the carving she noticed a dark colour, like that of dried blood. Closing her eyes she tried to control her breathing. Waves of evil pulsed around her, emanating from the door. She could hear whispers in her mind, and somehow she knew the door was observing her. Opening her eyes she forced herself to move forward. As she stood directly in front of the door she heard a voice inside her head, dark and unwelcome, ask her: "What is the colour of night?"

Fighting her instinct to flee she managed to stammer out the answer. "Sanguine, my brother." She heard the voice inside her head welcome her, and then her mind was quiet once more. The stone door swung open and Lilia quickly stepped inside.

She was standing in a large room that had been carved out of the earth itself. A set of thick wooden doors was visible on both the left and right hand walls. She saw a hole in the far left corner, opening up to a shaft that was gently illuminated by the sun's weak rays. Set in a corner of the large room was a small reading area consisting of a low bookshelf, a small table, and a couple of chairs. Ahead of her a hallway curved away to the right. Between her and the hallway stood a female Argonian dressed in a dark set of leather armour. The Argonian was smiling as she walked forward. Lilia walked forward to meet her, happy to put as much distance as she could from the door. As she made her way across the room she noticed the crushing waves of evil dissipate. So the door was cursed, but the sanctuary was not. Lilia was relieved to realize it.

"Greetings! I am Ocheeva, mistress of this sanctuary. Lucien has told me all about you." The Argonian's scales were varying shades of green, with a ridge of orange under her eyes that made her look as though she was blushing. Lilia could see that Ocheeva was still relatively young, most likely in her early thirties. Ocheeva continued. "It is always a pleasure to welcome another Sister into our ranks. Truly, the Night Mother smiles upon her blessed daughters."

"Let me tell you about our sanctuary. The training room is through there," the Argonian waved to one set of wooden doors, "and the living quarters through those doors on the opposite wall. My own personal quarters are just down the hallway, and Vicente's room is at the end." Ocheeva pointed as she spoke. "As a new member you'll need to complete your training before you get your first assignment. You will receive a set of armour," here she pointed at her own, "when you're finished. Vicente handles the training and assignments of new members, so you may wish to speak to him right away. If you have any questions don't be afraid to ask." With that Ocheeva continued on towards the living quarters.

Deciding to head down towards Vicente's room Lilia met the other members of her sanctuary. They were all unusual, some more than others. Gogron gro-Bolmog was a giant Orc dressed in a complete set of dwarven armour, a heavily enchanted dwarven battle-axe strapped to his back. Despite his intimidating appearance he had been the friendliest of all. Teinaava was also an Argonian, the egg-mate, or twin, of Ocheeva. His scales were orange, with patches of green around his eyes. He confirmed Lilia's suspicions that the two were Shadowscales, trained assassins of the high courts of Black Marsh. Telaendril was a tall Bosmer; Lilia found her polite, but not overly warm. The Khajiit M'raaj-Dar had been downright nasty. She was pleased to think that he'd hate having to sell his wares to her. She made a mental tally of the gold she would need to find in order to buy some of his more unique items.

The last member she met was Antoinetta Marie. The petite Breton was very pretty. Her eyes were the palest blue, and her soft blonde hair framed her porcelain face. She was welcoming, stopping to chat about the sanctuary and Lucien. Lilia didn't know why, but every instinct screamed that this woman was danger. Something about her manner made Lilia suspect that she was deeply disturbed, yet completely lucid.

Arriving at the end of the sloping hallway she found herself in front of another pair of heavy doors. She reached forward to open them, and then decided that knocking first would be more polite. She heard a male Breton voice call out for her to enter.

Pushing the door open she stepped into the room. Upon seeing Vicente she immediately unsheathed her dagger. She'd met vampires that looked like him before, and they hadn't been welcoming.

Seeing her in a defensive stance, dagger at the ready, Vicente let out a small chuckle, his fangs showing from under his thin lips.

"You must be our newest Sister, Lilia. So good to finally meet you. Please don't let my appearance unnerve you. The needs and tenets of the Dark Brotherhood come before my own needs as a vampire." Feeling foolish, Lilia quickly sheathed her blade and stood upright. The other vampires she'd dealt with had been incoherent with blood lust. From what she knew, if Vicente could look so vampiric, his face so drawn and gaunt, and still have a civilized conversation then he must be a very old and powerful vampire indeed.

"I see Lucien was right – you do move quickly. But first, let me formally introduce myself. I am Vicente Valtiere, Executioner of the Dark Brotherhood." He gave a slight bow. Standing up his eyes fell to the straps around her shoulders. "Have you had a chance to settle in yet?"

Upon learning that Lilia had come straight to him Vicente insisted that she have a guided tour of the sanctuary. He led her past Ocheeva's quarters, pointed out the hole in the wall that led to up to a locked well, took her through the training room, finally ending the tour in the middle of the living quarters. Lilia did a quick count in her head. She'd met seven people who called the sanctuary home. Ocheeva and Vicente both had private quarters, and the rest she assumed shared the large common living space. Counting again she arrived at the inescapable conclusion that with five beds in the room she had nowhere to sleep.

Vicente looked at Lilia as she stared towards the sleeping quarters. She'd been delightfully entertaining during the tour. Vampiric senses, which had been honed with years of use, had been amused to see her heart race every now and then. He'd been able to see her elation at learning of the well entrance, and the bitter disappointment when she'd learned it was locked by a special key given only to higher-ranking members. Her reaction to Antoinetta had been particularly strong, and he'd had to bite his lip to keep from laughing. He personally felt the same way about the strange Breton girl.

Right now he could almost see gears turning in her mind as she puzzled over the beds, though that was just his imagination. Leaning towards her he spoke. "Ah, yes, we weren't expecting you so soon. There is a spare bed around in storage somewhere that we'll pull out for you." The way her muscles tensed he could tell the idea didn't please her. It was fascinating how little she showed in her face, and yet how much the inner workings of her body spoke volumes.

"Or would you prefer something a little less exposed?" Turning to look at him, he saw her heartbeat quicken slightly. She was definitely interested in more private quarters. Thinking about it later, he never could figure out exactly why he made the offer.

"That bed could just as easily be set up in my quarters. I'm sure you noticed the alcove to the left of the door – a very long time ago I used to have a roommate. I think the curtains that separated the space are also around here somewhere."

Lilia still didn't know how she felt about the ancient vampire. He was the nicest, sanest person in the sanctuary. But sometimes she thought he considered her as a shiny new toy, something to be amused by. Still, staying in his quarters had some distinct advantages. She wouldn't feel so exposed to the other assassins, and she had noticed a trapdoor set in the floor above where her bed would be. That would give her two possible escape routes should she ever need it. Without another option, other than sleeping on the mats in the training room, Lilia agreed to the idea, after making Vicente swear that he wouldn't use her for a midnight snack.

Grabbing an apple from the dining table Lilia followed Vicente into the hallway that connected the living quarters to the main hall. Crates and barrels, many covered with years of dust, were stacked against one wall. Helping Vicente as best she could they eventually found the mattress and curtains. Both were musty, but Lilia wasn't too concerned about that. Directing Vicente to bring them up to the training room, she marveled again at his strength. She knew academically that vampires possessed keener senses and were much faster and stronger than mortals, but it surprised her to see it in action. On the way she explained her idea.

Gogron and Telaendril were both practicing in the training room when the newest member and her mentor walked in. They both stopped their exercises to gawk at the strange scene before them. Calling Gogron over, Vicente had the Orc stand in the middle of the room and hold up the cloth wrapped mattress that he'd been carrying.

During the tour Vicente had mentioned that he would be training Lilia in several different methods of combat, as well as giving her a crash course in deadly poisons and teaching her the fine arts of stealth. The first combat skills taught would be in unarmed combat, as Vicente firmly believed that an assassin should learn how to kill without a weapon.

Demonstrating on the mattress Vicente showed Lilia numerous punches, kicks, and combinations. Stepping back he watched her as she repeated his actions, hitting the mattress again and again. Years of dust were flying off at every blow, and every now and again Gogron would have to take a break to have a sneezing fit. Telaendril, in the meantime, was collapsed against a pillar, holding her sides as she laughed at Gogron's plight. After about an hour Vicente declared the training over. Gogron, eyes red from the dust, slunk off to the living quarters, Telaendril trailing behind, teasing him mercilessly.

Vicente looked again at the new member. She was definitely intelligent. Her idea to combine unarmed combat with beating the dust out of the mattress had been a good one. He could see that her breathing was faster, and her heart rate up, but she wasn't as tired as most new recruits were after such intensive training. He was also intrigued. As much as she couldn't hide, he suspected that she had many surprises for him still. The way she improved her movements so quickly led him to believe that she was already well trained, and was merely pretending to learn.

The two spent the rest of the day in setting up Lilia's new living quarters and chatting. Vicente had also managed to find a small dresser and a mirror hidden away, and he could tell Lilia was relatively pleased with her new home.

Once the furniture had been re-assembled and arranged, the curtains hung, and everything given a good cleaning Lilia sat down at the round table across from Vicente. "Vicente, can I ask you something?"

"It's about my unique gift, isn't it? Yes, I can see how you would be curious. I was stricken with vampirism over 300 years ago, while on an expedition deep into the ashlands of Vvardenfell. For nearly 100 years I hunted in secret, until the Dark Brotherhood found me." The vampire watched Lilia absorb this.

"Ah. Well, actually, I wanted to ask you something different." She said with a sheepish grin. "What did Lucien say about me? Everyone here seems to have been told something, and I'm curious to know." Vicente didn't need his hunter's sight to see a slight blush on her face.

"Hmm, so here is another one caught under Lucien's spell." He thought grimly to himself. He'd seen this happen a few times before. New recruits seemed be susceptible to the charismatic speaker.

"Truth be told he didn't say much. He merely told them that he'd found you killing bandits in the wilderness and that you had successfully fulfilled your first assignment."

"Them? Does that mean he told you something different?" There was no disguising the intense curiosity in her eyes.

"I am the one that you report to. He told me a few more details, including your expertise in dealing with mud crabs." At the mention of mud crabs Lilia's nose wrinkled involuntarily. "And that you seem to have some magical talent. Not many people can open locks and detect life with only their mind." Hmm, her blood pressure was up. She hadn't expected that statement.

He watched her look at nothing in the middle of the table, obviously lost in thought. When she didn't follow up with further questions about Lucien he volunteered some more information about the Speaker, including the fact that he rarely visited the sanctuary. Surprisingly the news didn't seem to bother her. Perhaps he had misjudged the cause of the blush.

"Sorry about that. My mind just wanders off sometimes." Lilia apologized when she realized that she'd been sitting in silence for the past few minutes. Vicente didn't seem to mind. She suspected that after 300 years things like silence and waiting didn't matter as much to him.

"Now Lilia, can I ask you something?" Vicente smiled, fangs on display. Seeing her nod, he continued. "Just where did you learn to herd mud crabs?"

With a laugh, Lilia told him a slightly modified version of the events that happened at the bandit camp. She'd just finished explaining how she'd surprised Lucien with a bottle of sujamma when she stopped speaking suddenly. Glancing towards the hall Vicente could see and smell Teinaava approaching. Strange that Lilia knew he was close; she had been facing the wrong way to see him with a normal detect life spell. He followed Lilia's gaze to the door, and as Teinaava raised his arm to knock she called out for him to enter. Teinaava opened the door, a mildly bewildered expression on his face. Vicente knew that the assassin was puzzled by Lilia's greeting. Teinaava prided himself on his ability to sneak up on his fellow Brothers and Sisters undetected.

"Ah, you've been busy." The Argonian took in the change in the room, giving a slight nod in approval. "I've been sent to summon you. It's dinnertime, and Antoinetta has made her famous crab chowder in your honour." The Argonian flashed a toothy grin, which quickly fell when both Lilia and Vicente burst out in wild laughter. Shaking his head he turned and headed back down the hall.

Unable to resist the opportunity to watch his protégé face her first real challenge, Vicente offered his arm to escort her to dinner. Accepting it, Lilia found Vicente's hand cool to the touch. Even though it was a strange sensation, not being able to feel a pulse beneath the skin, Lilia found she didn't really mind.

* * *

Lying on her new bed in her new home Lilia pondered the day's events. Glancing around, she let her life detection spell wander as far as she could. Most of the sanctuary was asleep. Teinaava was the only exception, sitting in the main hall reading a book. She looked at the curtains that were drawn in front of her. She could make out the prone figure of Vicente, lying on his stone bed. Again, she wondered if vampires really slept, or if their bodies just went into a state of undeath. The gentle glow outlined in her mind never shifted or changed like regular mortals. But of course, he didn't breathe or have a beating heart like them either.

Knowing she would never be able to sleep without confirming her suspicions she crept out of bed and peaked out from behind the curtain. Letting her vision relax she took in the figure of the sleeping vampire.

Returning to bed she knew she would sleep, though it would be a long time coming. Her mind would be too busy trying to solve the puzzle of how a high-ranking vampire assassin could be an innocent in the eyes of the Nine.


	7. Chapter 7: The Usefulness of a Good Book

Life in the sanctuary settled into an easy flow. The other members were surprised at the change in Vicente. Where he'd often been aloof, preferring to read quietly in his chamber than chat with his fellow assassins, he seemed to be spending almost every moment of the day with the new Sister. None of them had ever received so much attention. Then again, none of them had progressed so rapidly.

Vicente found Lilia to be a puzzle. He was convinced that she was pretending to learn, hiding her true abilities. During weapons training he could feel her holding back, and he knew her missteps in stealth were on purpose. Yet she 'improved' as well as the others had, and he judged the skill level that she chose to show to be comparable to her Brothers' and Sisters' when they had finished their training.

The one area she didn't shy away from was alchemy. She'd had no trouble letting Vicente know just how knowledgeable she was about the subject. She could list all the standard poisons and antidotes, and could also list the exotic ones and their ingredients. She'd even reprimanded the vampire when he'd let the calcinator burn too hot during a lesson. Vicente realized he didn't need to bother trying to teach her anything new, and wondered if he could convince her to give him lessons instead.

He started giving her the tests that he gave to each new assassin. No one could remember him testing after less than a month of training, and less than a week was unheard of.

Lilia's first test was to pickpocket each of the family members. In this case, she had to put a painted coin into the clothes of each of her fellow assassins. They had all been forewarned and knew to expect it. Vicente told her that they would report if they caught her or not. She was not allowed to put it on them while they slept, and she couldn't use magic of any kind.

It took her an entire day to complete the task. The trick had been waiting until each person was distracted, and that didn't happen often. The hardest had been Teinaava. The male Argonian was renowned in the sanctuary as the stealthiest of all, and he had only let a coin in once before, but he said that didn't count because he'd had a cold. He kept looking around suddenly, trying to catch her in the act. So Lilia decided to seek help. Counting on sibling rivalry she recruited Ocheeva to make a purchase for her at the bookstore located on the west side of town. Ocheeva returned with a copy of _The Unpublishable Works of Crassius Curio_. Lilia had heard of the book while staying on the waterfront. It had been banned everywhere and denounced by the temple, so of course sales were brisk.

Leaving the book on the table in the main hall she waited for Teinaava to commence his afternoon reading. As she expected he picked up the book and quickly became engrossed in the tales. It had then been a simple task to place her coin in the folds of his armour.

The next day Vicente challenged Lilia to combat, her choice of weapons. In order to pass she had to remain engaged in the fight for 20 minutes without yielding, and magic was not allowed. Though he had been training her, he so far hadn't sparred with her, instead recruiting other family members. She'd matched axes with Gorgon, staves with Teinaava, and blades with Ocheeva. She'd lost every time, convincing her opponents that she still had much to learn. Vicente firmly believed that she had easily let them win, not really trying to fight back, though he couldn't fathom why.

Much to his surprise she chose unarmed combat. Aside from beating the dusty mattress she'd had no further training in the skill, and M'raaj-Dar had somehow never been available for a sparring match. When he asked her about it, she told him that she didn't want to do too much damage to an old man like himself. Fists, kicks, blocks and holds were allowed. Biting was definitely not.

The middle of the practice room was cleared and the majority of the members sat around the edge, waiting for the spectacle to begin. M'raaj-Dar was conspicuously absent, and Telaendril was out on assignment. Gogron and Teinaava were busy making bets about how long Lilia would last before she yielded. Ocheeva tried to shush them, and Antoinetta just stared.

Facing down Lilia Vicente noted that she was wearing her simple black pants and sleeveless shirt, and that she was barefoot. He almost felt bad about what was going to happen. Until she started talking trash.

Lilia knew that Vicente was too much of a gentleman to truly strike out at her. She wanted the fight to be real, so she made sure to nettle him at the beginning of the match. The timer had been flipped and the two were circling endlessly when she realized that he wasn't going to attack. Her whole plan was based on being on the defensive, she knew she wouldn't be able to really do any damage to the vampire. So she recalled the best (or worst) jeers that she'd ever learnt. Finally, after a particularly bad insult concerning his mother's sexual preferences, he shot his palm out towards her chest. Stepping backwards she realized that she hadn't truly understood just how fast the vampire could move. Adrenaline flowing, she starting questioning his father's racial heritage.

Vicente couldn't believe what he was hearing. She was actually trying to make him mad! The whole situation was absurd. If he hadn't been so intent on tracking her movements he would've joined in Gogron's and Teinaava's raucous laughter. Realizing that for some odd reason she was testing him, he decided to give in. If she wanted to see just how well he could fight, he'd be happy to oblige. He let combination after combination of punches and kicks race out towards her. He often connected, but she was dodging well. He tried harder and faster movements, and still she dodged and twisted out of the way, mitigating the powerful blows.

"Time!" Ocheeva's voice rang out. Gogron and Teinaava looked at each other in surprise. Neither had bet on Lilia actually lasting 20 minutes. Ocheeva was applauding wildly, and Antoinetta was clapping sedately.

Lilia stood off to the side, breathing heavily. She couldn't believe how fast Vicente could move. Thanking the members for their congratulations as they departed she waited until they were all well clear of the training room before collapsing dramatically to the floor. Vicente came to sit down beside her. She could see him studying her. That expression was very familiar to her; he seemed to wear it all the time. Looking at her bare arms he smiled at her.

"Are you badly hurt? I can see you'll have some nasty bruises."

"I think you broke a rib, but other than that I'm okay." Lilia saw his eyes narrow in displeasure. She knew he wouldn't want to hurt her, which is why she'd taunted him in the first place.

"I do have some skill in restoration magic. If you let me I can fix that for you. Which side is it on?" Before she could stop him he was starting to roll up her shirt.

"No, it's okay. I can heal myself, thank you." She grabbed his hands before they could travel any further. Deciding she may as well do it sooner rather than later she let a blue wave wash up and down her body. A quick glance at her arms confirmed the bruises were gone, and a tentative prod at her ribs revealed them to be mended. She caught Vicente's expression of unabashed curiosity.

"Where did you learn to do that? The last time I saw anyone able to cast a spell without either speaking or waving hands was a particularly cranky old wizard in Tel Branora."

"Gods, I shouldn't have done that." She silently cursed herself. Before she could think up a reply Vicente spoke again.

"Forgive my curiosity. We needn't speak of it further, and I won't tell anyone." Looking sharply at him, Lilia wondered if the vampire could read minds. He seemed to have an eerie ability to decipher her internal moods and thoughts. Turning towards him, she propped her head up with her arm.

"It's okay. My father worked for the Empire, and I traveled with him and my mother as a child. My education was spotty, but I've learnt a few tricks that serve me well." Well, that was close enough to the truth to suffice. "And Vicente, thank you for truly sparring with me."

"Lilia, I must know. Why?" She understood his question. Why had she decided to fight him unarmed? Why had she goaded him into attacking? Standing up, she moved a few steps towards the doors. Turning, she answered with a large smile.

"Because I wanted to see what you could do."

Vicente slowly shook his head as he watched her walk out of the room. She really was full of surprises.

* * *

It had been eight days since she'd moved into the sanctuary, and Vicente had one final test for her. She had to clip a small metal pin onto his back without him knowing. She had to do it herself, and she could use magic if she wished, but he warned her that it would do her no good. No one had ever been able to successfully accomplish this test. She had to complete the task by midnight. Wishing her good luck Vicente left their room and headed towards the main hall. 

Lilia had been warned about this one. Sneaking up on mortals was one thing, sneaking up on a vampire was an entirely different proposition. She knew invisibility would get her nowhere, because Vicente could smell her coming from yards away. He didn't need any spells to catch her. Thinking about it last night she'd come up with a plan.

Passing through the main hall towards the training room Vicente hailed her from across the room just as a reminder that she wouldn't succeed. "The cheek of that man!" she thought.

Stepping inside she found who she was looking for. Gogron spent an inordinate amount of time practicing with his axe while fully dressed in his heavy armour. Lilia guessed that he did it to keep his endurance levels high.

"Gogron, I'd hoped I could find you here. I've been given the third test." The Orc turned to look at her, letting his axe rest on the floor.

"Good luck to you Lilia. Nobody's ever been able to pin that bloodsucker." Gogron often referred to Vicente in that way, but Lilia knew he meant it as a joke, not an insult. "Though I'd love to see the expression on his face if you did."

"Really? Because with a little help from you, I think I know a way to do it."

* * *

Vicente sat in a chair, back towards the main hall, copy of _The Unpublishable Works of Crassius Curio_ in hand. He'd scented Lilia go to the training room, and he'd smelt Gogron pass through the hall a few times. Losing himself in the stories, he made sure to keep sniffing the air. Not needing to breathe he sometimes forgot to inhale.

He was three-quarters of the way through the book when the smell of Gogron assaulted his senses. Orc sweat had to be the most pungent of all the races, and Gogron had obviously been sweating up a storm. He heard the clunking Dwemer boots head towards him in the hall, and felt the familiar, painful, slap on the back in greeting. With a grunt the Orc stalked off to the living quarters. Quickly glancing over Vicente noted that Gogron had been wearing his helmet during practice. That had probably added greatly to the Orc's body heat, explaining the remarkably strong aroma. Vicente turned back to his book.

After finishing a third book Vicente was annoyed. Lilia still hadn't made an attempt to pin him. She'd wandered through the hall a couple of times, moving back and forth between the living quarters and training room, but hadn't dared approach Vicente. Midnight was mere minutes away, and even Gogron had at least made an attempt during his test. From his last observation she was in the living quarters, and had been for in there for a few hours now. He felt his annoyance grow as the minutes ticked by. Finally, as he heard the sound of the bells from the Chapel of Arkay across the street float down through the well he got up and stalked into the living quarters.

His annoyance started to feel more like anger when he found Lilia sitting with Gogron and Telaendril, sipping on a mug of ale, laughing as she listened to the two recount the early days of their unusual romance. Vicente's voice was frosty when he spoke.

"Having fun, are we? I regret to inform you that you've failed the third test." Not wanting to say any more the vampire turned to leave. He stopped when Telaendril called out to him.

"Vicente, wait. There's something on your back." Turning his head around Vicente could see the small metal pin stuck to the fabric of his right shoulder blade. He turned back to the table.

"Getting Gogron to pin this on me was against the rules. I'm disappointed that you would try to cheat, and I'm surprised that you would do it." He directed this last part to the Orc.

"Now wait a minute. I never laid a hand on you." Gogron protested.

"Yes, you did. You came out of the training room and pinned this on me. You were the only one who came close enough to me today to accomplish this trickery." Vicente's eyes narrowed as he looked down at the seated Orc.

"No, he didn't." Lilia spoke firmly. "I'm the one that pinned you."

"My dear, please don't compound things by lying. You've been caught."

"I'm not lying. Look at me. I know you'll see I'm telling the truth." Vicente took a good look at her. She was right. Her body didn't show any of its telltale signs when she spoke in half-answers or evaded questions. With a sigh he pulled up a chair and sat down at the table.

"Explain."

Lilia happily did. Gogron had been a willing accomplice, but not as Vicente suspected. She'd convinced the Orc to go get his helmet and a change of clothes. She'd then him slap her on the back in greeting a few times to get the feel for his unique style.

Presenting it at as a challenge of his endurance, the Orc had happily run and jumped around the training room until he could do no more. As per the plan he removed his armour and clothes and changed into his fresh pair. Lilia had put on his sweat-soaked clothing and pungent dwarven armour. Thus attired she'd walked through the main hall, slapped Vicente on the back, pinning him at the same time, and gone on to the living quarters. Knowing that Vicente was reading that highly distracting book, she'd stripped off Gogron's belongings and changed into a fresh pair of clothes herself. To further confuse the matter she and Gogron had moved through the main hall several times, so that Vicente wouldn't notice Gogron coming out of the training room twice.

As she spoke Gogron started laughing, and by the time she was done he was howling. Wiping tears from his eyes he turned to her. "Oh, Lilia, thank you. I'll never forget that expression as long as I live."


	8. Chapter 8: Sweet Lady of Wayrest

She awoke early the next morning. Dressing quickly, she noticed that Vicente was already up and sitting at the table in the middle of the room. Pulling back the curtain she greeted the vampire, surprised to see a breakfast of toast, tea, and fruit set in front of her chair. A cloth wrapped bundle lay in the centre of the round table.

"I thought breakfast in bed might be too familiar. Please, sit, eat." Vicente said by way of explanation. Waiting for Lilia to settle into her chair he continued. "You've done remarkably well. I've never before had an assassin successfully complete all of my tests." He gave her a fanged smile. Most of the others in the sanctuary had been able to pass only one, and only Ocheeva, Teinaava, and Lucien had managed to complete two.

"So it is with great pleasure that I present to you your own set of Dark Brotherhood armour." He reached forward and pushed the bundle across to Lilia. "May it serve you well, child of the Night Mother."

Wiping crumbs from her mouth Lilia unwrapped the parcel. Inside she found a set of the dark leather armour favoured by her fellow assassins. It was an unusual design, with many criss-crossing straps and buckles. Holding it in her hands she could feel the magic that was a part of it. She sensed that it would make the wearer harder to detect in shadows, bestowing upon them heightened vision and increased agility.

"Thank you. I had an excellent teacher."

Vicente let out a bark of laughter. "No, I dare say I didn't teach you a thing. If anything, it is you who have been the instructor, and I the student. Now eat your breakfast before it is completely cold while I give you your first contract. Tell me, how do you feel about pirates?"

* * *

Lilia walked through the forest, breathing in the fragrant air, luxuriating in the warmth of sun on her skin. She'd been underground for over a week, and it felt good to be outdoors again. She felt a sense of freedom. 

"Almost like a prisoner who's escaped from jail." Her mind said. Pushing the unwanted thoughts from her brain she turned her focus back to the task that lay before her.

Gaston Tussaud had quite a reputation, and not because of his good works. Somehow there was never enough evidence for a warrant to be issued for the infamous Breton pirate's arrest, so he moved freely from port to port. His ship, the _Marie Elena_, was currently docked at the waterfront of the Imperial City. Lilia pondered the methods she could use to eliminate him.

He was a relatively young man, so no one would believe he'd died in his sleep. Could she somehow make it look as if rival pirates had killed him? Even if she littered his cabin with rusty cutlasses it wouldn't work - there were no other pirates in the area. From what Vicente had said he rarely strayed from his ship, so even if she could make it look as though he'd died in a mugging gone wrong she was reluctant to take that approach. Killing him on the waterfront would mean that the guards would be all over the poor residents, and though they did tend to skirt the laws of the land they were for the most part good people.

She continued moving west, eyes straying towards the distant figure of the White Gold Tower, the tall spire in the centre of the Imperial City that formed the seat of government for the Empire. Adjusting the straps that dug into her shoulders she decided to worry about the problem later. At least she would be able to get rid of the heavy marble statue stuffed in her pack.

It was dark when Lilia reached the far shore of the waterfront. She'd swum across the lake. Even though she wasn't wanted by the guards she still didn't feel comfortable moving freely through the city. There were at least two people that she didn't want to run into, and she felt a small degree of safety on the waterfront. Letting a gentle magical heat radiate out from her skin she was soon dry again. She let her detect life spell range wide.

She could make out figures all over the _Marie Elena_. There were three on the top deck, one in the captain's quarters, and at least four more down below deck. She also noted that it seemed as if the population of the waterfront had doubled. She could see figures inside the houses, and an almost equal number of people walking up and down the row of shacks. Something was wrong.

Looking towards Methredhel's house she saw the shape of two small females inside, most likely Methredhel and her roommate Carwen. Looking down at her clothes Lilia cast a chameleon spell. She had changed into a coarse brown skirt, beige cotton top, and quilted corset. The beige shirt would reflect too much light for her to move about unseen without magical aide.

She made her way to the back of Methredhel's house and crouched under a window. Waiting until she could see that the guards, as she now knew them to be, had moved out of sight she let her spell lapse and tapped softly on the glass. The shocked face of the Wood Elf popped into view, and seeing who her visitor was she quickly slid open the window and surprised Lilia by bodily pulling her up into the shack.

"Good to see you too." Lilia said in a sarcastic whisper, tugging her skirt back down.

"Where have you been? Armand couldn't get in touch with you, and you've been gone for over a week!" Methredhel kept her voice low, but Lilia could hear the demanding tone.

"Armand never told me that there was a deadline. If there had been I would've returned earlier. I didn't know that I had to inform him of my travel plans." Lilia couldn't keep the irritated edge out of her voice.

With a large sigh Methredhel gestured for Lilia to sit at the small table in the corner. Pulling up a chair close beside her she told Lilia what she knew.

"There was no buyer for the bust. It was a set up." Seeing the sharp look that Lilia gave her, Methredhel hurriedly continued. "Armand didn't know. There was a spy in the guild, and the Grey Fox decided to use you to flush her out. When Armand found out he tried to send word to the beggars in Cheydinhal but you had already completed the assignment. Once news of the theft spread the city guard moved in. Armand has gone into hiding, and the guards have been harassing us day and night."

"Who was the mole? Did the plan at least work?"

"Yes. It's Myvryna Arano. She's been working with the guard so she wouldn't have to go to jail on an assault charge." Lilia knew immediately who Methredhel was talking about. Myvryna looked like an ancient Dunmer, but was actually only middle-aged. Her hard lifestyle showed plainly on her face, and she was known as someone to speak to if you needed a few legs broken. Lilia had made certain to stay far away from the Dark Elf.

"So now what? Will the guards leave soon?" Lilia questioned. Methredhel shook her head.

"No, they aren't going to leave until they find the statue. Tell me you've brought it." Her eyes strayed keenly to Lilia's pack. Seeing her nod Methredhel let out the breath she'd been holding and continued. "Excellent. Since I've had so much time to think, I've come up with a plan."

* * *

Crouched behind a large box Lilia considered her next move. It had been a simple matter to plant the bust of Llathasa in Myvryna's cupboard. The only problem had been waiting for the Dark Elf to go to sleep. It was after four in the morning by the time Myvryna had passed out in her bed, and Lilia had quickly opened the window, opened the cupboard, and placed the statue inside using her telekinesis spell. She found it a very useful spell to know. Closing and locking the cupboard and window she'd made her way through the open doorway of the large stone wall and now found herself hidden out of sight beside the _Marie Elena_. 

Methredhel had been right. The guards didn't seem to be about to leave the waterfront anytime soon. She'd briefly spotted the watch captain that Methredhel mentioned - Hieronymus Lex. Apparently he had a grudge against the Grey Fox. After finding out that she'd been used as an unwitting pawn Lilia was sympathetic to his feelings. She turned her inner vision to the ship. The captain and crew inside the vessel seemed to be asleep. Three of the pirates were still topside, singing a song about a lady of Wayrest who was no lady indeed.

Lilia knew her plan had several risks, but if it worked she could kill two birds with one stone, so to speak. Hiding her bag deep in the crate she pulled out her silver dagger. She placed a few strategically positioned cuts in her clothing, and then used her hands to tear the left sleeve of her shirt off at the shoulder. Steeling herself, she quickly pressed the tip of the sharp blade to her throat, feeling a small trickle of blood begin to flow. Grabbing a handful of dirt she rubbed some on her knees, and then carefully made dirty handprints on her clothes, and one dark handprint across her mouth. She stashed her dagger in her pack. Satisfied that her new look would work, she crept over to the low stone wall that circled the ship. Chameleoned, she leapt onto the small balcony that led to the captain's quarters. Again letting magic do the work for her she unlocked the door to the cabin.

Captain Tussaud lay asleep on his bed. She could smell the rum oozing from his pores. Glancing quickly around she saw the pirate's dirty cutlass leaning against a small desk. Picking it up she moved towards the door that led to the deck. Casting her magic she made sure that the door was unlocked. She would need to be able to move fast.

Standing over the pirate she placed his cutlass by his side, letting her chameleon spell drop. After a quick prayer to Stendarr she felt the illusion magic flow from her hand. Instantly the Breton was awake, brown eyes wide with rage. With an inarticulate cry of fury he rose from the bed, blade in hand, intending to cut her down. Running out through the door onto the deck she let the same spell hit the three surprised pirates. Drawing their cutlasses they too moved to attack.

Letting out a scream of terror Lilia ran through the archway into the midst of the dingy shacks, stopping only when she bumped into the watch captain. "Help me, please!" She pleaded desperately.

"Stay back!" Hieronymus Lex turned to face the attackers, silver longsword at the ready. Several of his men had already started fighting the enraged pirates. Despite the guards' repeated commands to surrender the pirates kept on pressing forward, cutlasses whirling. Overwhelmingly outnumbered he watched as they were quickly killed. Hieronymus noted that several of his men were bleeding, none seriously, and ordered the injured to go get their wounds tended to. He commanded a couple more to take care of the bodies. Turning back he took a look at the girl who seemed to be the cause of all this carnage.

She was older than he initially thought; most likely the same age as his himself, though her skin was still smooth. Her arms were wrapped around herself, her right hand clutching a torn sleeve, trying to keep it up at the shoulder. A small line of red ran across one side of her throat. Her clothes were torn and dirty, and he could see where hands had grabbed her. Her grey eyes were wide with fright but she wasn't crying. Her words poured out in a rush.

"Thank you, thank you, thank you. I was on my way to my house to make breakfast and the pirates grabbed me. They stole my money and bag, and then tried to drag me into the ship. I managed to run away. Praise Mara that you were here to save me! I'm Lilia, by the way." She extended her right hand in greeting, but her sleeve fell off and she quickly brought her hand back in to pull it up. She gave him a quick smile instead.

"Watch Captain Hieronymus Lex. Just doing my duty ma'am. Did you say you live around here?"

"I do. I stay over there," she pointed at her shack at the edge of the lake, "but I haven't been in the city for a few days. I dabble in alchemy to make my living, and those bastards took my bag. Now I'm going to have to go back out into the forest again." Her words were a little slower, and she was staring intently at the bodies being carried away. She shivered slightly.

"I'll send one of my men to go get your belongings. What colour did you say your bag was?" She was already shaking her head by the time he finished asking the question.

"No, your men won't find it. During the struggle I saw it fly over the edge. It's in the bottom of Lake Rumare by now, and even if I did get it back the ingredients would be useless." Hieronymus understood. The docked ships often threw their refuse overboard, resulting in the water's remarkable stench and viscosity. Nobody bothered trying to retrieve anything that fell into that sludge.

"But that's not your problem, it's mine." She continued talking, giving Captain Lex another quick smile. "I'll be fine. In fact, I should probably head out. I'll feel safer sleeping in the woods than here. I counted four dead pirates, but I know it takes more than that to crew a ship." Shoulders sagging, she made a move to walk away.

"Wait." Hieronymus quickly stepped to block her. "You haven't slept yet?"

Lilia shook her head. "No, certain ingredients are best gathered in the moonlight. That's why I was out so late." She gave him a sudden curious look. "Why were you and your men out here on the waterfront, anyway?"

"The bust of Llathasa Indarys was stolen from Cheydinhal, and the Count wants it found immediately." He noted that she seemed to start at his words. "You wouldn't happen to know where it is, would you?"

She hesitated a few moments, obviously trying to come to a decision. Finally, she looked down at his feet. "I'm not sure. I don't want to get anyone in trouble, but I think I heard something the night before I left on my trip to the woods." She looked up. "I think I heard someone muttering. I'm not sure what, but I heard the words 'show them all,' 'filthy fetchers,' and 'bust.' I thought something had been broken."

Hieronymus was staring at her. He'd had no leads all week, and Adamus was hounding him to find the blasted statue. That bastard made sure to exploit Lex's past troubles with the Thieves guild at any opportunity he could get. He'd placed Hieronymus' name on the wanted posters of the Grey Fox, and he'd been the one to assign him the task of tracking down the missing bust. Hieronymus knew that his reputation was quickly becoming a joke, both with his men and the local citizenry, but he didn't know how to change that. Adamus Phillida, Imperial Legion Commander, was very good at playing favourites, and Lex was not one of them.

"You don't happen to know who was speaking, do you?" He tried not to let his words betray his excitement. He was crushed when she shook her head.

"No, I don't know her name. But I know where she lives." Lilia pointed in the direction of Myvryna Arano's place.

"Damn that arrogant bastard!" Hieronymus cursed Phillida in his head. Myvryna was Adamus' pet, reporting in on the shady dealings of the waterfront in exchange for immunity. Lex had been the one who had to check up on her reports, and often found that they were either embellished or completely false. Despite his entreaties Adamus refused to believe that Myvryna was lying, and instead blamed Hieronymus for shoddy detective work. If what Lilia was saying was true, Hieronymus was looking forward to his next chat with the Commander.

"Stay here." Looking around he saw Servatius Quintilius, his second-in-command. "Servatius, come over here and make sure she stays safe." And make sure she doesn't leave, he added mentally. Unable to suppress a grin, he headed towards Myvryna's front door.


	9. Chapter 9: The Reputation of Alchemists

For the third time that day Vicente had spoken out loud before realizing that he was alone in his room. He closed his book and lay it on the table. He felt restless, and his thoughts strayed once more to his unusual roommate.

He knew so little about Lilia. Sure, he knew that she was terrified of the sanctuary door, he knew that Antoinetta's kindness disturbed her, and that M'raaj-Dar's hostility amused her. He knew that she was tense around the other family members but relaxed around him, though she still wouldn't speak freely. He didn't know how old she was, and he hadn't been able to guess at her race. Vicente was well acquainted with the unique scents of the ten different races of Tamriel, and could easily smell the two different heritages that made up mixed breeds. But her scent was unusual, something he'd never encountered before.

Though her wavy hair was relatively short it was long enough to cover the pointed ears he'd seen as she'd moved around during weapons training. Her skin was a dark tan, as though she spent her days in the sun, but from what he'd glimpsed of her stomach that was her natural colouring. Unless she ran around outside naked, which at this point wouldn't surprise him much.

Grinning at the amusing mental picture he looked over towards her side of the room. She'd left the curtains drawn back. He noticed that she'd left her armour behind, folded neatly and almost hidden from view at the foot of the bed. He rolled his eyes. He knew that hadn't been a mistake; she'd chosen to go assassinate a renowned pirate captain with no protection whatsoever. He felt he should have expected that.

Seeking a distraction he made his way to the living quarters. After engaging in small talk with the other assassins Vicente realized why he preferred to spend his time reading. Their talk was only of contracts and the limited gossip that even the Dark Brotherhood wasn't immune to. After wasting an hour in idle chatter he headed back to the main hall.

He heard the creaking skeleton before he could see it. Gogron had accidentally crushed the last one to dust when he'd flung the door to the training room open too quickly, and Lucien had said that he'd bring over a new one. The dark guardians that stalked this sanctuary's hall were renowned for their short life span. The assassins frequently used them for target practice, spell training, and occasionally practical jokes. Lucien was often complaining about having to constantly replace them. Looking over he saw Ocheeva approach him.

"Greetings Executioner. As you can see, I've just had a visit from our esteemed Speaker." She waved a hand towards the skeleton. "He's brought further contracts and instructions for your newest Murderer."

"Our newest Murderer, dear Sister." Vicente knew that the other assassins were confused by the way he paid so much attention to Lilia. He was no fool; he knew that rumours would most likely start. But he'd been unable to resist spending time with her. She was the most fascinating person he'd met in a very long while.

"Yes, of course. Here are two new contracts for her. He was very specific that she get the assignments." Ocheeva handed Vicente a couple of parchment scrolls. Scanning them quickly he frowned.

"The first one looks right, but the second contract is absurd. Is he trying to get her killed? I wouldn't assign it to anyone other than yourself or Teinaava, and even then I would have my doubts about it being completed successfully."

"I questioned him about it myself. He didn't explain further, but he did order that she be the one to receive it. I'm sorry Vicente." Ocheeva gave the vampire a quick pat on the arm before moving off to the training room.

Vicente stood motionless in the main hall, listening to the shuffling of the ragged skeleton. He didn't know what game Lucien was playing, but he wasn't happy about it. Finding himself very thirsty, he made his way to the well and out into the moonlit sky.

* * *

Lilia stood in the large foyer of the Tiber Septim Hotel feeling horribly conspicuous. She clutched her ragged clothing and wished she could sink into the floor. Though it was still early in the day there were already people sitting on the wooden benches, speaking quietly over cups of coffee. Judging from their clothing and the occasional piece of conversation she could hear they were traveling merchants, preparing their plans for the day's trading. She could feel them looking at her, obviously displeased by her dirty appearance.

After Captain Lex had sent Myvryna off to the Imperial Prison escorted by two Imperial guards, he'd returned and spoken briefly out of earshot with Servatius. With a friendly smile Lex had told Lilia that he needed to go fill out his reports but he looked forward to seeing her again very soon. A little bewildered, she'd followed Servatius as he escorted her to the Talos Plaza district, the richest and most desirable location in the Imperial City. He hadn't been much for small talk, but he did tell her that she was going to have a room at the tavern, compliments of the city guard.

He was now deep in conversation with Augusta Calidia, the formidable owner. She was well into middle age, but her straight hair was still blonde, her posture perfect, and she was clothed in an expensive velvet dress. Every now and again she would cast an appraising glance over at Lilia. Their conversation finished, Servatius walked back over.

"Miss Calidia will take care of you. Good day, citizen." As he exited out the front door, Lilia saw Augusta walking towards her, a kind smile on her face.

"You poor dear. Come with me and I'll show you to your room." Gently placing her arm around Lilia, careful not to let the fabric of her fine dress touch the other woman's dirty clothes, she led her towards a far door.

Augusta kept up a steady stream of banter as she brought Lilia to her room. She explained that because it was so small, and because the only window opened up into an alley, she wasn't able to rent it to any of her patrons. Lilia knew that the Tiber Septim was renowned as the best, and most expensive, place to stay when visiting the city.

Since the room wasn't fit to rent out, Augusta had toyed with the idea of turning it into a storage area before she'd had a flash of inspiration. She'd instead offered the room to the Watch Captains for their own use, free of charge. It didn't cost her anything extra to have the room cleaned, and she understood that her wealthy customers felt safer knowing that the high ranking officials of the city guard were under the same roof. In actuality it was very rare for any of the Captains to take her up on the offer, but she didn't tell her clients that.

Lilia entered the tiny room first. She realized that Augusta had been correct in her decision not to rent it. While the paint was fresh and the floor clean, it was probably the most cramped space she'd ever been in. Furniture ringed the walls, and she barely had room to turn around. A chest of drawers was against the left wall, pushed against the small single bed that touched the far wall. A small window, curtains tied back, gave a view of the stone blocks that made up the back of the houses across the alley. A large iron tub, one foot different than the others, was to the right of the door, and a screen hid the far corner from view. Lilia moved into the centre of the room. Without stepping from the spot she could have touched the bed, the window, the screen, and the tub. She turned to face Augusta, who had followed her in.

"Thank you. It's really very generous of you." Augusta elegantly waved a hand in dismissal.

"Really dear, it's no trouble at all. Anything for Captain Lex. Now you just relax and take a bath. The tub's enchanted, do you need me to work it for you?" Lilia politely declined the offer. Augusta continued speaking. "Good. You'll find a robe hanging up behind the screen. Freshen up, and I'll be right back with a change of clothes. Oh, no dear, it's no trouble at all." She again waved off Lilia's words. "My guests are often leaving things behind. I'm sure I'll find something that will be suitable for you to wear to breakfast." With that she left Lilia in the room, closing the door softly behind her.

Gratefully sinking into the warm water Lilia pondered Augusta's words as she healed the small wound on her neck. What did she mean about breakfast? Why would Lilia need something to wear? Scrubbing the dirt from her face she again toyed with the idea of simply running off. She'd stayed in the city far longer than she'd wanted, but she knew that sneaking off like a thief in the night might cause some suspicions. As it stood, she was fairly certain that she was innocent of any wrong doing as far as the guards were concerned. She certainly didn't want to give them any reason to start asking questions about her.

A knock interrupted her thoughts. She heard Augusta call through the door, asking if she could enter. "Just a moment!" Lilia replied. Popping out of the tub she let a gentle magical warmth dry her as she quickly threw on the robe. "Come in."

"Ah, much better." Augusta obviously approved of her now clean state. "I think this should fit you. Go put it on." Handing Lilia the clothes she motioned her towards the screen.

After putting on her new outfit Lilia looked into the long mirror that was tacked onto the wall. She wore a pale yellow off the shoulder gown; the light colour of the fabric made her skin look even darker and richer. A corset made out of the same cloth, edged and tied with a satin ribbon of the same pale yellow, accentuated her waist. She fingered her sleeve. The fabric was soft and smooth, and she guessed that it was some kind of silk blend. She hadn't worn such fine clothes in a very long time. She stepped back out at Augusta's request. The older Imperial smiled with delight.

"I knew it would fit you. The colour is lovely on you." She had Lilia turn around. "Oh, but dear, there's a trick to wearing a corset. Here, let me help you." She stepped forward towards Lilia, outstretched hand headed right towards her chest.

Lilia caught the older lady's hand and thanked her, but said she could take care of it herself. She turned around and quickly reached into the front of her dress, lifting her breasts up. She looked down. Her cleavage was now rather impressive. This is why she hadn't done that trick in the first place. She turned around again.

"Yes, much better." Augusta opened the small leather box that she'd set on the dresser. "I have some make-up here. Let's complete your toilette, shall we?"

Lilia quickly declined the offer, pleading allergies. Now highly suspicious of the Imperial's motives she asked about breakfast.

"Yes, Captain Lex has been waiting in the foyer. I'll send him to get you. Are you sure you can't wear even a little lipstick?" Lilia emphatically repeated that she couldn't. "Pity. Well, I'm sure you'll enjoy yourself dear. Hieronymus is a very fine man." With that Augusta left Lilia alone in the room.

Lilia realized that the innkeeper was trying to set her up, dressing her up as if she were going on a date! Oh dear; while Captain Lex seemed like a nice man she certainly didn't fancy him. She wondered if she had time to tame her cleavage. She had just undone the bow when she heard a knock at the door. Apparently not. Quickly re-tying the ribbons she opened the door to find Hieronymus in the hall. With a smile he offered his arm, and escorted her up to the inn's second floor.

* * *

Lilia set her third plate on the table. The buffet was nothing short of spectacular, and she realized she hadn't eaten anything since yesterday's simple meal of toast and fruit. There were the typical Cyrodiilic breakfast dishes, as well as exotic produce, breads, and meats from across the Empire. Everything was of the highest quality. She popped a piece of whitefish into her mouth. The flavour took her back to her time in the northern coast of High Rock. She could almost feel the freezing spray of salt water on her face.

"Has the alchemy business been that bad?" Hieronymus asked in amusement. He'd finished eating a while ago. He was amazed at her appetite.

"No. Actually, it had been going rather well. With the warmer weather coming I'll have no trouble in finding reagents." She glanced down at her dress. "While I appreciate the generosity, I wish Augusta had found something in my size that was a little more…practical. I don't think this outfit will last long when hunting mushrooms."

"I doubt it was designed with that in mind. But it certainly does suit you." Lilia observed the man before her. His features were even, his face just a bit too wide. His long blonde hair was pulled back in a sleek ponytail. His eyebrows were a dark brown, setting off his royal blue eyes. She could see the kindness in his face. He was dressed in a pale blue button up shirt and olive pants. While they weren't anywhere near as luxurious as the clothes worn by the other diners, they were well made and fit perfectly. She could also tell that his words were nothing but a polite compliment.

"Thank you. So, have you had any leads in finding the Grey Fox?" Lex had been telling her stories about the Thieves guild before she'd gone to refill her plate. He'd been doing most of the talking, which suited her fine. It gave her more opportunities to eat.

"No. It's been hard enough just trying to convince people that he's real." he said with a sigh.

Gulping down a piece of kwama egg Lilia gave him a grin. "And how do you know that he really is real?" she asked innocently.

"Because I've met him." With that, Hieronymus told her his story.

After a very successful career in the field he'd been the youngest man ever to be promoted to Watch Captain. Everyone had expected him to continue his meteoric rise up the chain of command. Upon arriving at his new post in the city, he'd received mysterious notes offering him bribes in exchange for removing the bounties on certain citizen's heads. He'd of course turned them in to his superior, Adamus Phillida. One night he'd awoken in his room to see a strange figure standing by the trapdoor in the floor. The man had been wearing a grey leather cowl over his face, only his eyes and lower jaw visible. Red daedric lettering was embossed down the centre of the mask. Much to his chagrin, Hieronymus saw that the man held the Lex family signet ring in his hands. The ring was worth no more than the gold it was made out of, but the sentimental value made it priceless to him. The man had simply said: "Last chance." With that Hieronymus had launched himself out of bed, but the stranger had jumped down through the trapdoor. By the time Lex had run out into the temple district the man was gone. Only a young guard returning from patrol, Itius Hayn, had seen the masked man run past. Upon reporting the incident to Phillida he'd been astonished when the older man dismissed it as a dream, despite Itius' account.

"He's a bit of an ass, isn't he?" Lilia asked as she set her fork and knife down on her now empty plate. She was grateful that the corset was doing its job; she was sure that if she wasn't wearing it she would no longer have any sort of waist at all.

"Which one?" Lex asked with a wry smile.

"Good point." Glancing around, she noted that the amount of people in the dining room had lessened considerably. It was late in the morning, and her limbs were heavy with weariness. Hieronymus also noticed that breakfast seemed to be over.

"Let me escort you to your room. I'll even sweep it for pirates if you like." He rose from his chair, extending his arm. He really was quite well mannered, she noted.

"Thank you for breakfast. I wish I had some money to pay for it."

"Don't worry about it. It was the least I could do after you cracked that case for me. I mean, you were attacked by pirates and lost all of your money; I wasn't about to let you go foraging for roots and berries." He let out a small laugh. "Anyway, Augusta said it was on the house. I think she likes you." Hieronymus spoke as they moved out of the dining room.

"I don't think it's me that she likes." Lilia thought wryly to herself. Reaching her door she used the small steel key to unlock it. She opened the door and stepped inside, turning back to face the hallway. In one fluid motion she'd given him a gentle hug and quick peck on the cheek. Taking his hands in hers she spoke while gently pushing him further back into the hall.

"Hieronymus, thank you again for everything. You really are a fine man. Good day." Before Hieronymus could react she'd stepped back and quickly shut the door.

"Good day to you too, Lilia." He said to the door. Walking down the hall, he thought to himself that alchemists really were the strangest people.


	10. Chapter 10: An Orcish Breakfast

Lilia stood in the middle of the dusty room, noting the irony of her relief at being back at the sanctuary. It had taken her a couple of hours before she'd been able to teleport out of the Imperial City.

She'd slipped out the window of the small tavern room, locking it behind her. She'd left the key on the dresser. Hopefully Augusta would simply assume that she'd missed Lilia's departure through the front door. She doubted that the innkeeper would even think of her until much later in the day. Going invisible, she had moved through the city down to the waterfront. Since it was midday all of the doorways between the districts were wide open. The only thing she'd had to watch out for was to quickly step out of the way of other people walking through the streets. While they might not have been able to see her, they certainly would have been able to feel her.

Having retrieved her pack from the crate at the dock, she'd been about to cast her recall spell when she'd seen Armand walking through the archway, headed towards his home. Unable to resist the opportunity she'd quickly run around the other side of the wall and broken into his house through the back door. She'd been fully visible when he'd walked in, surprised to see her.

Their conversation had been brief. She'd made her feelings about the set up and the Grey Fox very clearly known, using several colourful terms. He'd been understanding, and had handed her a small leather bag as payment for her troubles. With a final command to look after Methredhel she'd slipped out and teleported back to Cheydinhal. She had a feeling he'd be happy to follow her orders.

Vicente had told her that all of the other assassins had keys to the well, and that she was the only one who needed to go through the abandoned house. He'd been surprised when she asked if Lucien also had a well key, and had replied that the Speaker did have one, though he had just recently had to come to the sanctuary to get a replacement. Somehow his horse had managed to eat his original. He'd also told her that none of the citizens or guards would ever come into the house. It apparently had quite a reputation. Satisfied that she wouldn't be discovered, she had cast a mark spell on the upper floor before she'd left for the Imperial City.

She thought about the timing of her travels in her head as she refreshed her magical anchor. She hoped that no one would think it unusual that she'd made it to the city, killed a pirate, and come back to the sanctuary in a day and a half. She could always say that she'd stolen a horse.

Not wanting to wait she quickly made her way down to the stone door. The crushing evil made her dizzy, and several malicious voices seemed to move through her mind, whispering words she didn't know, their dark meaning all too clear. The door swung open in front of her and stepping through it the voices stopped. Feeling a bit more herself she passed through the empty main room and started down the hallway.

A lurching skeleton, wearing a rotten leather vest and carrying a heavy mace and shield headed towards her. Stifling her first impulse to attack, she noticed that it didn't seem hostile to her. Good. She pressed against the side of the hall, stomach knotting as she waited for the undead thing to clatter past. Feeling a bit jumpy she continued on towards her shared quarters. She had stopped knocking days ago when she realized Vicente could always sense her approach.

Opening the door she quickly pulled out her dagger. A stranger was sitting in the room.

Seeing her in the same defensive stance, dagger at the ready, albeit better dressed, Vicente chuckled. Seems she wasn't the only one who had the ability to surprise. He saw her sheath her dagger once she recognized him, her piercing gaze one of intense curiosity.

"I see you've returned. The contract has been fulfilled?" As she nodded her head warily he took in her new look. While she'd normally only worn loose-fitting black clothes before, this fine yellow gown revealed some rather nice curves. A small leather coin purse was tied to the bottom of the corset. He wondered just what she had been up to. "Have you eaten?"

"What happened to you?" Lilia couldn't believe the change in the vampire. She knew instinctively that it was Vicente calmly sitting in front of her, but her eyes didn't believe it. When she'd left he'd looked every one of his 300 plus years; ancient and desiccated. But now…

"Oh, please don't be alarmed by my appearance. I was a bit, shall we say, thirsty the other evening. Why, do you not approve?"

How could she not? She realized now that she was seeing him as the man he once was, before he had been infected all those years ago. She noted wryly that he now looked younger in years than her own number; his appearance that of someone in their mid-twenties. Where before his features had been pale and withered, his face was round and his skin a shade of light tan. The sharp cheekbones were now merely sculpted, softened by the flesh of his cheeks. His lips were full, and his eyebrows were dark brown, matching his hair. His eyes were different, deep green and ringed with black lashes instead of palest pink. When he smiled she couldn't find his fangs. Even his body seemed different, somehow thicker and sturdier. He was one of the handsomest men she'd ever seen.

She knew the lore of vampires. That different clans, or bloodlines, conferred different powers on their kin. The vampires that lived in Cyrodiil were said to have the ability to go about undetected, even walking around in the daylight. If they fed often enough they were indistinguishable from regular mortals. The longer they went without feeding, the more apparent their vampirism would be.

Unable to contain her curiosity she dropped her pack to the floor and sat down at the table. "Vicente, just what were you doing in the ashlands of Vvardenfell?"

* * *

They had spoken of vampires and travel until he noticed that she was having difficulty keeping her eyes open. It was almost dusk, and he guessed that she hadn't slept yesterday. Promising to continue the conversation later he left her to rest. 

She'd said nothing about the contract, but had spoken at length of her travels through the Empire. She never gave any specifics, just general talk of the geography and people. But he was starting to learn more about her. Heading through the main hall towards the well he was aware that Antoinetta and Telaendril had stopped speaking and were both staring at him. His fellow assassins had had similar reactions as Lilia's when he'd returned from his nighttime feeding. The stares didn't bother him.

"Why wouldn't they look?" He mused to himself. He hadn't looked quite so…alive in over fifty years. None of his fellow sanctuary members had ever seen him this way. Giving them both a warm greeting he made his way up the well and out into the waning light of the sun.

It had been far too long since he'd been able to move about during the day, and he couldn't help the feeling of fear that swept him when he emerged into the sunlight. But instead of the horrible burning he expected, he felt only a slight heat. His eyes would always find anything stronger than the light of the moons too bright, but at least he didn't need to worry about being stricken instantly blind.

He made his way to the March Rider. Ocheeva had told him that Tertia Viducia sold what he was looking for, after he'd convinced her to stop staring and start speaking. Time and again he had to keep himself from jumping into the shadows when people approached. Previously he'd never been able to talk to mortals without using a remarkably heavy charm spell. Most people had a healthy fear of vampires. He realized it really had been far too long since he'd walked as a mortal, or at least as a close replica.

Opening the door to the smith's shop he was relieved to find it empty of any other customers. He approached the short Imperial owner, noting her closely cropped hair and roughly calloused hands. She wore a thick leather apron and had a strip of cloth tied around her forehead to keep the sweat out of her eyes when she worked with the fire. From all appearances she seemed an infinitely practical sort of woman.

So he was shocked when she stood far too close to him and started fluttering her lashes.

"New in town? If you're looking for a new sheath, I'm sure I have just the place for you to put your dagger." Biting her lower lip, she placed her right hand on the hilt of the small dagger Vicente had strapped to his waist and sharply tugged him closer to her.

After having made his purchases, dodging her all the while, Vicente was relieved to step back out into the street. He thought he almost preferred it when they merely tried to kill him.

* * *

Lilia awoke in her bed. She didn't know how long she had been asleep, but assumed that it had been several hours at least. She had almost fallen asleep in her chair twice before Vicente insisted she get some rest. 

Thinking of the vampire made her tense. During their talk yesterday she hadn't liked the thoughts that had risen unbidden into her mind. She'd caught herself wondering if his lips were as cool as his touch. It had been a very long time since she'd had physical contact of an intimate nature, and she chided her body for choosing now to raise the issue. She stood and reached for the top dresser drawer, planning on wearing her standard black ensemble.

"Not today." Vicente's voice startled her. From their talk she knew he had a constant low level detect life spell in his range of vision, so he'd seen her moving behind the curtain. "Are you decent?"

She glanced down at the voluminous cotton shift she wore. It billowed out from the gathered neckline and reached to her knees. She felt more decently dressed than she'd been in the yellow gown. Answering that she was, the vampire pulled back the curtain.

"Good morning. The others are already having breakfast. I hope you like your porridge crunchy; it was Gogron's turn to cook. Here." He handed her some clothes. "Now get dressed and eat quickly. We need to head out soon." He let the curtain fall closed.

Dropping the clothes on the bed she stepped out from behind the hanging fabric. "Where are we going? Is it another contract?" She'd just completed one yesterday. She really didn't feel like killing anyone else so soon.

"No. I prefer to put pleasure before business. Now go get dressed. I've already packed your bag." She saw him point towards the two bulging leather backpacks on the table before he grabbed her by the shoulders, spun her around, and gently shoved her back behind the curtain.

Looking at the clothing on her bed she was intrigued. The heavy woolen pants and thick fleece top seemed much too warm for the fourth of Second Seed. Vicente had also provided two pairs of wool socks and heavy lace up leather boots. Dressing as fast as she could, slowed down only when she tried to stuff her swaddled feet into the boots before giving up and peeling off one layer of socks, she pulled back the curtain to find he'd already left the room.

Dodging the skeleton in the main hall she made her way to the dining area. Gogron, Ocheeva, Teinaava, and M'raaj-Dar were sitting at the long table. They stopped speaking when she came into sight. She felt uneasy about their sudden silence. Faking a cheerful grin, she greeted them each in turn. They all replied politely, except for M'raaj-Dar, who snorted and stalked off down the hallway. Filling a bowl with porridge she sat down with the remaining three. She tried to keep her voice light when she spoke.

"Interesting new look for Vicente, isn't it? I didn't even recognize him yesterday when I came in." She tried not to let her smile falter as all three gave her quizzical looks. Stabbing a piece of her porridge with a fork, she quickly started eating. Gogron was the first to speak.

"It sure is, Lilia. We're all still getting used to it." Noting her questioning look Teinaava interrupted.

"You didn't know. Nobody has ever seen Vicente look like this. You wouldn't happen to know what's caused his sudden transformation, would you?" Lilia shook her head as she struggled to swallow.

"You mean no one's ever seen him look less…" She searched for a polite term for undead. Ocheeva answered her unfinished question.

"No, dear Sister. His appearance has been the same for as long as any of us have known him. Please excuse our questions, but we are concerned about him. He didn't say anything to you about the reason for his sudden change, did he?"

"Well, when I asked, he told me that he'd been very thirsty." With that the other three assassins laughed. The tension in the air relaxed. Lilia speared another piece of porridge. She didn't know why they were so concerned about Vicente. Vampires had to feed sometimes, and it wasn't as if he'd bitten any of them.

By the time she finished eating Lilia was grateful for the unusual porridge. It had spared her having to answer questions about her latest contract, a subject that the assassins seemed to enjoy talking about endlessly. In between chews all she'd told them was that Captain Tussaud had died at the end of a sword. She wasn't about to mention that an Imperial soldier had been at the other end.

Opening the doors to the main hall she saw Vicente standing at the bottom of the well waiting for her, packs in hand. She stepped back as the skeleton shuffled forward on its endless rounds, and then quickly made her way over to Vicente, putting as much distance between herself and the guardian as she could. She saw the familiar look of merriment in his eyes.

"I take it you're not fond of Boo-Boo." He'd seen her heightened heart rate as she'd dodged around the skeleton.

"I'm not overly fond of the undead." Waving her hand, she kept him from speaking. "You know what I mean."

"Yes, I believe I do. Here." He handed her one of the large packs. "As a special reward for a job well done, we'll use the well entrance." He was halfway up the ladder when he heard her curious voice call up to him.

"Boo-Boo?"


	11. Chapter 11:  New Heights

They'd made good time heading north out of Cheydinhal. It was just after noon when they sat down to rest at the base of the Jerall Mountains.

Lilia glanced over at Vicente as she ate her simple lunch. The vampire still hadn't told her where they were going, and they were almost at the edge of Cyrodiil. Any further north and they would be in Skyrim, and a little further east would bring them into Morrowind. Looking at the provisions in her bag she could see that he'd only packed her enough food for perhaps three days, if she ate sparingly. She also noted the thick fur-lined leather armour that he'd put in there. So they were going up into the mountains, that much was evident.

Vicente was pulling on the warm fur armour. Looking over at her he told her to do the same.

"I thought vampires didn't mind the cold." She stated as she struggled into the greaves. They were a bit snug across the thighs.

"It depends. The closer one is to mortal, the more one feels things like cold and fatigue." He'd been explaining to her the effects of the various stages of vampirism. After a couple of days without feeding a vampire would 'turn' in their sleep, advancing to the next stage of the disease. The older a vampire was, the less frequently they needed to feed to prevent this turning. If a vampire went too long without feeding they could lapse into a coma. He checked the straps on his pack to make sure it was securely attached to his back. Reaching a hand up the rugged cliff face, he turned to her. "Ready?"

"Vicente, wait." Lilia tugged him back to the ground.

"Don't tell me you can't climb. I simply won't believe you." He noticed her smiling at him.

"It's not that. Yes, I can climb, rather well in fact. But I also prefer to do things the easy way. I assume we want to go up there." She pointed straight up the cliff. She saw him nod in agreement. "Good. So follow me."

Trailing behind her Vicente watched as she led him east along the base of the mountain. After ten minutes he asked her if she knew what she was doing.

"Of course. I'm letting you lead me to who knows where, I hope you'll allow me to do the same." She continued heading east.

After ten more minutes of walking she stopped and pointed at the mountains.

"Do you notice this ridge of trees and bushes? It runs west, up to where we want to go. Plants will only grow where the ground is somewhat level. You never see bushes on a sheer cliff face. We just need to follow the trees to get…wherever we're going."

She leapt up and grabbed hold of the closest tree. She curled around it and adjusted her balance as she stood on the rocky slope. It was steep, but it should be manageable. Bending forward at the waist she carefully made her way up through the bushes.

Vicente followed behind, glad that she couldn't see him. While his stamina was still impressive, and his strength and speed far exceeded that of a mortal, he found himself getting fatigued as they climbed. Few people knew that vampires did need to rest, though not as frequently as mortals. The muscles in his legs were starting to ache. Looking up, he saw Lilia moving forward, both hands touching the ground in front of her. She'd hit a steep patch and was almost literally crawling, bent far forward to counteract the force of gravity. Despite the icy cold air that swept through the mountains he could see that she was hot under the heavy fur. He heard her breathing hard with exertion, but she maintained her careful pace.

They finally reached the large snow covered plateau that he'd been looking for. Walking towards the edge Lilia crouched down. She lowered her body onto the ground and inched forward in the snow. Hearing him come toward her she cautioned him to do the same.

"You're not afraid of heights, are you?" He asked.

"No. It's not the fall that concerns me, it's the part about climbing back up that I dread; I'm exhausted. Look down. You can see the clump of rocks where we ate lunch. Where I ate lunch." She quickly corrected herself.

She was right. Her route had led them directly above the very spot where they'd stopped. Vicente got back up and made his way north, walking against a howling gust of frigid wind, towards a ridge in the plateau. He should be able to spot their destination from the top of it.

Suddenly he found himself flying towards the ridge, his back in agony from where he'd been struck. Landing bodily against the snow-covered rock he rolled onto his painful back, drawing his sword to face his attacker. He didn't expect the sight he saw before him.

Lilia had stood up and was now several steps away from the edge of the cliff, one arm outstretched in front of her. A short distance away from her stood a massive ball of flame. He could see that there was some sort of creature in the middle, howling in pain. The heat from the fire caused him to wince, even though it was several feet away. He saw her hand pulse, and then had to look away from the flash of intense light and heat. When his vision cleared he saw nothing but ashes in the middle of the now bare rock, snow steaming in a large ring around the dry stone.

Lilia came over to him, her face grim. He flinched involuntarily when she stretched out her arm. Even as well fed as he was he was still susceptible to the heat of flames, and the motion reminded him of the one she'd made at the creature. Not seeming to notice his reaction she placed her gloved hand on his chest.

When she removed her hand he felt perfectly fine. He realized that she'd cast a healing spell on him.

Taking her arm she helped pull him up to a standing position. Looking at her he could see that she was incredibly agitated, though her face was still. He waited for her to speak, recognizing that she would only say what she wanted, not what he asked.

"Uderfrykte." She was pointing towards the small pile of ash. The word sounded like gibberish to him, but he assumed it was the name of the creature. With that she took a couple of steps backwards and looked right at him. "Lead on."

* * *

Vicente stood at the edge of Dive Rock, looking out at the land of Cyrodiil below, lit by the late afternoon sun. If his vision was accurate he could see as far west as Skingrad, and as far south as Bravil. He glanced over at his companion. She was standing next to him, gazing out at the landscape spread before them. She had been very quiet since the incident on the plateau, but he could see that she'd calmed down considerably. He had so many questions about what had happened, but was prepared to wait for the answers. He'd developed a lot of patience over the years. 

They were standing in front of a small tent that had been set up on the high outcropping of rock. The tent was weathered, holes riddling the canvas, one corner collapsed. Lilia turned to look at it.

"There's no one in there." She stated. "I'm going to check it out."

He saw her step in behind the canvas, crouched low below the partially collapsed roof. She picked something off the ground, and then sat down. It looked as though she was reading. He turned back to the landscape and sat down in the snow, waiting for her to emerge.

After a couple of minutes she did. She wasn't carrying anything in her hands. Looking at her he could tell she was in the grip of powerful emotions, but he couldn't determine which; he'd never seen her body react like that before.

"I'm going to go for a quick walk. I'll be right back." With that she headed back towards the plateau.

Curious, he opened the tent. He could see two bedrolls, and a dried pile of food frozen into a solid clump in the corner. A small brown leather bound book lay on the floor. Bringing it outside he started to read.

The diary told the story of Agnar the Unwavering and his wife Svenja Snow-Song's ill-fated quest to kill the fearsome Uderfrykte matron. The trail had led them from their home of Thirsk on the isle of Solstheim to Dive Rock and their deaths at the hands of the very creature they sought. Vicente realized with a slight horror that the pile of ash back on the plateau had most likely been the centuries old monster the journal described.

Standing up he decided to go see what Lilia was doing. When he came over the ridge he stopped, watching her move about on the plateau. She had found the body of Agnar somewhere near by, his remains mummified by years of bitter winds, and was gently arranging him on top of the ashes. She placed his axe in his hands, and then started placing large rocks around his body. After several minutes of arranging the rocks she stood up over the cairn that she had erected. He heard her speak a few sentences in the language of the Nords, catching the words of Ysmir and Sovngarde, the god and heaven of the Nord beliefs. Turning, she gave Vicente a weak smile.

"Let's go back to the lookout." She said as she moved towards him.

Sitting on the snow, staring out over Cyrodiil, he could tell that she was now calm. She suddenly spoke.

"I knew her, you know. Svenja. Not well, but I remember her. I was traveling with my family through Solstheim and we stopped at the mead hall in Thirsk for the night. The chieftain had left years ago, and she was running the hall single handedly. She taught me how to braid hair in the traditional Nord style." Lilia smiled at the remembrance. "She really was beautiful."

"I'm sorry she's dead." Vicente offered.

"Don't be. She died in battle, facing her worst nightmare head on. As a warrior she wouldn't have wished for anything less." Lilia turned to look at the vampire. "That was the Uderfrykte matron that attacked you. You were upwind and couldn't smell it or see it, and the wind was so loud it must have covered the creature's footsteps. I saw her strike you. Do you realize how far you flew?"

"Yes, I have some recollection of it. What did you cast?" Vicente would never forget the strange sensation of having been tossed through the air. After a slight pause, Lilia answered.

"I've been trained in the magical arts, as you know. I learnt the incineration spell in the Summerset Isles." Vicente knew that the Summerset Isles were home to the High Elves, the most magically attuned of all races.

"How did the daughter of an Imperial Legion officer come to be trained in the land of the Altmer?" He asked.

"I never said my father was in the Legion." She quickly snapped. "My family died many years ago. I don't like to discuss them, or my upbringing."

"I'm sorry." Vicente was sincere in his apology. He'd met enough people who had pasts that were best kept in the past. He wouldn't push; if she wanted to talk about her history, he would wait for her to bring it up. After a minute she spoke again.

"It's beautiful up here. Thank you for bringing me." She paused once more. "Vicente, why did you bring me?"

"This will be the first time I've watched a sunset in over fifty years. This is the best place to do so." He gave her a smile. He'd almost added: "And because I haven't had anyone worth sharing this with for far longer than fifty years."

They spoke little as they watched the sun sink out sight. The stars were in their full glory and the moons overhead when Lilia stood up and spoke.

"You may not feel it, but the temperature is dropping rapidly. I'd rather not spend the night up here." Vicente had noticed the air growing cooler around him. Rising, he realized he was stiff with cold.

"We should head back down. We have a long climb ahead of us." He said. Shaking her head, Lilia smiled widely and held out her hand to the vampire.

"No, our trip down will be much faster. Come over to the edge." Taking her hand they moved to the edge of the cliff. "Now step on my feet and wrap your arms around me. Be sure to hold on tight." He did so. He could feel her warmth through the layers of fur. Her heartbeat sounded too loud in his ears. He pushed the thirst back down inside; if he needed to feed, he'd do it later.

"Vicente, do you trust me?"

"Yes." He answered without hesitation.

"Are you sure that's wise?" She asked, as she jumped backward off the rock, launching them both into the cold night air.


	12. Chapter 12: ABCs of Revenge

Lilia was cursing herself as she crunched up the graveled road towards Bruma. She still didn't know what had possessed her to do such a thing.

"Oh, you know exactly what. Though it's more a case of what you want to possess you, or should we say who..." her mind replied. Gods, she didn't want to accept it. The idea was too crazy.

She kicked a small stone off the road, sending it flying into the pine trees that lined the highway. She figured that she must be insane; that she'd finally lost her grip on reality. How could she have a crush on a 300 year old vampire, even one that looked as good as Vicente? Vampires weren't even mortal. They drank blood, for Akatosh's sake!

"I wonder what it feels like to be bitten? The feel of cold lips on the neck, teeth penetrating the skin…" she quickly pushed the image from her mind. Yes, she was definitely as mad as Pelagius. She tried to focus on the task ahead of her, but her thoughts worked around once more to her departure from Dive Rock.

She supposed she'd wanted to impress Vicente, and also thank him for taking her to such a wondrous place. She'd been awed by the beauty as she'd watched the sun set over Cyrodiil from their high vantage point. She'd seen lovely sunsets before, but she'd never felt so moved; she'd felt as if she were seeing the day end through the eyes of a Divine.

"So much for your cunning plan of disguise." That wasn't fair. Lilia knew that the vampire had already suspected her of being more skilled than she let on. She didn't want anyone to ask her where she'd received her training. Back on the plateau, she'd briefly thought of trying to kill the Uderfrykte matron in a more mundane manner, but she didn't want to risk Vicente's life. If she'd used a bow that wouldn't have stopped the creature from moving to attack him again, and if she'd tried to use her dagger she was sure the vampire would have made an effort to fight by her side, regardless of his injuries. That, and she had been angry. She'd set the Uderfrykte on fire before she'd finished standing, and seeing Vicente land hard on the ground she'd completely lost her temper. It had been an extravagant use of magicka, almost completely draining her reserves, but it felt good to turn the monster into nothing but ash.

So, she'd rationalized to herself that one little slowfall spell wouldn't hurt. Lilia smiled as she remembered the way Vicente had briefly panicked when she'd jumped off the cliff, squeezing her so tight she thought he'd break another one of her ribs. By the time they'd floated to the ground far beneath them he'd been laughing with delight. She, on the other hand, was busy fighting with herself to keep from kissing him. She'd quickly stepped away from him when her feet had finally touched solid rock.

"I wonder if he suspects how I feel?" By now she'd figured out that while he couldn't read minds, he could read the way her body reacted to her emotions. But could he tell which reaction was caused by which emotion? She truly hoped he couldn't.

Lilia tried to again focus her thoughts onto her new contract. Vicente had given it to her shortly after they'd landed, seeing as how she was already halfway to Bruma. She was going to kill a Wood Elf named Baenlin who lived in a large house in the cold northern city. The contract even described the manner in which he was supposed to die. Answering her inquiries he'd told her that while he wasn't sure if Baenlin had murdered anyone with his own hands, he did know that the old Bosmer had used the services of the Dark Brotherhood to arrange for the murder of his brother, Aenlin, which is how Baenlin had come to be living in his fine house to begin with. Apparently the son of Aenlin, Caenlin, had decided that turnabout was fair play and had called on the Dark Brotherhood to avenge his father. Though she enjoyed their company, she mused that Wood Elves really were an odd people.

She glanced up at the clear blue sky. The sun was already far to the west. It was late afternoon, and she was almost at the city. With so much time to spare, she deliberately slowed her pace.

After she'd taken leave of Vicente, almost running away from him, she'd headed west until she came to an abandoned bandit camp. Scouting around Lilia had been able to determine that no one had used it for months. Crawling under a small pup tent she'd quickly fallen asleep, and had the worst nightmare of her life.

In the dream she was standing on the top of a high coastal cliff. She could see giant waves crashing into the rock below her. A storm was approaching, but the clouds were red instead of grey. Lightning forked across the sky. Looking straight up she watched as the heavens opened, but instead of rain, fire had fallen. Watching her flesh melt from her bones she'd awoken to the sounds of her own screams.

The recollection made her shiver. She had never had a dream that was so intense; that felt so real. She'd even been able to smell her burning skin, hearing the sound of the muscle underneath sizzle away.

The dream confirmed it. She was going nuts. With a sigh she continued on her way. There wasn't much she could do about it right now.

* * *

Lilia stood in the corner of the well-stocked basement kitchen, looking up at the figures moving above her. It had been a simple task to sneak into the city unnoticed; she loved her invisibility spell. Locating the large wooden house that Caenlin called home she'd been delighted to discover a trap door that led into the cellar in the back. She'd carefully made her way down into the cellar. 

From the faint sound of the chapel bells she knew it was after eight in the evening. According to her instructions Baenlin would soon be relaxing in his favourite chair by the fireplace. Apparently he was very consistent in his routine. She watched as the small form of the Wood Elf and the massive form of the Nord moved about, preparing for Baenlin's reading time. Finally the Bosmer was seated in his chair, and the Nord had moved over to the side of the house, seated as well. She waited until she heard the bells ring nine before making her way through the cellar.

Barefoot and invisible she crept up the stairs to the first floor. She could see the gray-haired Wood Elf sitting in a high backed chair, absorbed in the book open in his lap. She couldn't see Gromm, but from the motions of his arms that she saw in her mind she guessed that he was drinking. She slipped up the stairs and into the small bedroom on the second floor.

She had to search the wall twice before being able to find the secret door in the wooden wall, hidden in the far corner. Running her fingers all over it she finally felt a small dent in the wooden boards. She pushed with her finger and the panel popped off of the wall. Pushing it aside she crawled through into the dusty passage. It was very small, the walls touching her on both sides as she made her way towards a mass of ropes and wooden brackets. It was obvious that no one had entered here for years. Lilia grimaced as she felt a small crunching sensation under her bare foot. Looking down she saw that she had accidentally crushed the skeleton of a small mouse. She silently cursed herself; that was a rookie's mistake. Picking it up she put it in her pocket. Making sure there were no other surprises on the floor in front of her she made her way to the wall.

She pulled out her dagger. From what she had seen the fastenings on this side of the wall were connected to the massive stuffed minotaur head that hung above Baenlin's favourite chair. The contract had suggested that the killing look like an accident, and Caenlin had provided detailed descriptions of the secret passage and preferred method of execution. Lilia realized that whoever the young Wood Elf was he'd obviously given Baenlin's death a lot of thought. She gently drew her dagger along the old ropes. If it were to look like an accident a cleanly cut rope would be out of place. She carefully moved the blade up and down the aged fibers, pleased to see them start to unravel in sections. Finally nothing but a small thread held the heavy head up against the force of gravity. She watched as it snapped of it's own accord.

While she couldn't track the fall of the minotaur head she was able to see the form of Caenlin as the blow knocked his glowing figure out of the chair. All too soon she wasn't able to see even that; the Bosmer was dead. Against the loud cries of the drunken Nord she quickly made her way back down the passage. Brushing herself off, she crawled out. Before she put the panel back she used a telekinesis spell to smooth the dusty floor, erasing her footprints. Popping the panel back in place she quietly made her way down the two flights of stairs and out through the basement doors, pausing only once to put on her shoes.

* * *

It was just before dawn when Vicente gently stepped off the ladder into the bottom of the well. He once more wiped his hand across his mouth and looked, satisfied that he didn't have any blood on his face. The drunken Dunmer, Aldos Othran, was a very useful snack. The homeless Dark Elf slept hidden away behind some bushes beside the high wall that ringed Cheydinhal, though the term passed out would be more applicable than slept. Vicente could still taste the sweetness of mead that mixed with the salty flavour of blood in his mouth. 

He'd never been able to figure out just how vampirism worked. It seemed that the more he drank, the more he felt the desire to drink, but it wasn't the same as the untamable thirst he'd feel if he went too long without feeding. Also, he'd found that he never advanced a stage in the disease unless he slept. On one particularly uncomfortable assignment many years ago he'd neither fed nor slept for over a week. He hadn't turned, but the thirst had been fearsome.

He stepped into the main hall of the sanctuary. The other assassins seemed to be asleep. He didn't need vampire senses to hear the rumbles of Gogron's snoring from the living quarters. The soft sound of the stone sanctuary door sliding open surprised him. He let out a small chuckle as he watched Lilia leap through it, her heart pounding in terror. If he wouldn't get in so much trouble for it he would've given her a key to the well days ago.

"Back so soon? Did you forget something? Your armour, perhaps?" he questioned.

"No, I didn't need it. There's been a tragic accident up in Bruma. Very sad." She gave him a big smile and took a step toward him, then suddenly took a step back.

She'd been acting strangely since Dive Rock. Vicente remembered how far she'd stood from him as he'd explained the contract, and how she'd seemed to flee when she left. Even now he could see her heart beat just a little bit faster. He'd reached the conclusion that for some reason she was a little afraid of him, and felt a bit hurt at the thought.

"Excellent work, Slayer." Seeing her shocked expression he continued. "Yes, you've been promoted. It seems our Speaker is very pleased with your work. Here, I want you to have this." Reaching into his pocket he pulled out a plain ebony ring. Offering it to her, he was saddened by Lilia's reaction. Holding her breath she hesitated to pick it up, then finally reached out and quickly snatched it from his hand.

"What's this?" He could hear the tension in her voice.

"Your bonus. By executing Baenlin in the manner specified you've earned a reward. You'll find that the ring bestows upon you the ability to see clearly in the dark." He watched her slip it on her finger and stare around the sanctuary. Vicente knew that the ring was enchanted with a night eye spell, causing the room before her to be lit up with a bright blue light, visible only to her eyes. It was a very useful tool for an assassin to have.

She started when the skeleton lurched into the main room from the hallway. Lilia had been amused when he'd told her of the origins of the dark guardian's nickname. Years ago a very drunk Gogron had accidentally fallen into a guardian, causing its head to pop off. He'd startled the sanctuary members when he'd stumbled into the living quarters, tears running down his face, skull cradled in his hands. He'd sobbed out: "I think I've made a boo-boo." The name had stuck; Telaendril had made sure of that.

"Still not fond of Boo-Boo, hmm?" He saw her shake her head in reply. "It drives Lucien mad when he has to replace them."

"What happens to them? Why do they need to be replaced so often?" She asked, not taking her eyes from the lurching skeleton.

"Oh, the usual accidents." With a grin he quickly moved towards the shuffling creature, wrenching the weapon from its hand. He arced the mace, sending the skeleton's head clattering into the bottom of the well. The body, the magical connection severed, collapsed to the floor. He dropped the mace onto the pile of leather and bones. "Like that."

She was covering her hands with her mouth, obviously trying hard to suppress her laughter. Grabbing him by the arm she started dragging him down the hallway to their room, giggling that they'd better hurry before they were caught. By the time he shut the wooden doors behind them Lilia was doubled over, laughing wildly.

* * *

Lying in bed she fingered the black metal ring, kicking herself mentally over and over again. Lilia remembered the wild jumble of thoughts that had run through her mind when Vicente had presented it to her. A few visions of romance, joined by many other, more carnal, images. She felt like such a fool. 


	13. Chapter 13: Starting Over Again

Vicente was carefully eyeing the new Slayer seated across the table as he explained her next contract. Lilia looked as if her heart were about to explode. He wasn't surprised.

She'd been hanging around the sanctuary for the last two days. He'd finally reached his limits with the way she kept staring at him and then quickly looking away, shying away from him whenever he got too close. The vampire considered her to be a friend, and her obvious displeasure at being with him was too much for him to take. That, and the contract needed to be completed soon. He couldn't put it off any longer.

"So I'm to sneak through the sewers, break into the Imperial prison, assassinate a prisoner, sneak back out again, and make sure that I don't get caught or kill any guards on the way? Is this a sick joke?" Her voice was bitter as she spoke.

"I'm sorry. If there was anyone else to give the contract to I would, but I've been ordered that you do it." A thought crossed his mind. "It doesn't say that you necessarily need to go alone. Perhaps I can provide some assistance?"

"Oh, no, no thank you, no." She very quickly replied. It was obvious to the vampire that the last thing she wanted was for him to come along on the mission. "In fact, I should go. Now." With that she got up and quickly started packing her bag.

"Don't forget the key." Vicente said, indicating the heavy iron key on the table. She would need it to open up the gate to the sewers. Pack in hand, she quickly grabbed it from the table while flashing the vampire a weak grin.

"I'll be fine. Don't worry." With that she left the room. Vicente sat back, realizing that no matter what she said, he was already very worried.

* * *

Standing in front of the sewer grate Lilia fought to keep her breakfast down. She couldn't believe that she was going back into that maze of hellish memories. How was it that she, of all people, would be assigned to kill Valen Dreth, the very prisoner who had taunted her during her tragic stay in the prison? Looking up, she again cursed the gods. She didn't believe in coincidences.

Her trip through the sewers was quick and uneventful; she paused only to slay every single mud crab she met along the way. Doing so made her feel a little better. The rats she let live, so long as they didn't bother her. Standing underneath the heavy sewer grate that led to the Aylied ruins she had to wait several minutes before her hands stopped shaking. She wasn't looking forward to replaying that horrible day, especially not backwards. With a soft sigh she reached up and pushed the grate aside.

Sneaking along the hallway, detect life spell active, she saw a figure seated at a table in the very room where the Emperor had died. She could hear two guards having a conversation about their off-duty plans; they were standing in the passageway where the final assassin had burst through the wall.

Struggling to keep her invisibility spell under control, she crept along the hallway and out through the open gate that had been locked all those weeks ago. Stepping into the large room she knew that the passage she wanted was on her left hand side. Lilia could see that the door to the right, leading to the room where the solitary figure sat, was open. Despite her mind telling her body not to, she found herself drawn through the open doorway.

Her heart felt like it was about to break in two as she moved into the room, memories of her helplessness flooding back to her. The spot where the body of the Emperor had lain was empty, and she gratefully noted clean. If she'd seen his blood, she probably would have run away screaming. Candles had been set up as makeshift shrines in the alcoves along the wall. A legion shield, a silver dagger, and some flowers were laid out as tributes. Seated at a rough wooden table an Imperial officer was busy writing notes on some loose pages of parchment. She stepped further into the room and saw the body of a man lain out on another table tucked in the corner. Familiar burgundy robes were folded neatly beside him. A small piece of parchment lay on the table; drifting over, she quickly read the contents.

Lilia searched her memories. She'd never heard of the Mythic Dawn before. Whoever they were, they certainly operated in secret if the Blades didn't know anything about them. She almost jumped out of her skin when she heard the sound of heavy steps behind her. Realizing that the guards had finished their conversation and were now resuming their patrols she quickly made her way out of the room and towards the passage. In her mind, she wished the legion luck in tracking down the Mythic Dawn.

After retracing her route through the near abandoned ruins she found herself crouched in the rough earthen passageway, hole in the brick wall in front of her opening into her old cell. She'd been surprised at the lack of guards on patrol, but then there wasn't much use for them now. Lilia pinched her arm as hard as she could, trying to keep down the rising emotions.

She still hadn't been able to forget the avalanche of emotions that had threatened to destroy her mind when she was last here. She'd been terrified, she'd been angry, she'd been frustrated, and she'd been in pain. A lot of pain. Absentmindedly her right hand started massaging her left.

Lilia still didn't know why she had been able to laugh at Auden's outrageous suggestion that she earn back her own gold like a common whore. She thought that if she hadn't, she wouldn't have been beaten nearly so badly. Bitterly, she realized that might have been exactly why she'd been able to react.

Looking through the wall she could see a guard speaking to the man she sought in the cell across the hall. She listened to their conversation, a small grin spreading on her face.

* * *

Valen Dreth lay on the hard bedroll on the floor of his cell. In less than a day he would be free from this place. He entertained himself with thoughts of strangling the Imperial fetcher who had just spoken to him. He hated the guards.

He quickly sat up when he saw the gate across the hall open and close. There was nobody there. Standing, he almost let out a cry when a figure suddenly appeared crouched in front of his cell. Looking closer, he recognized the red hair.

"You!" he hissed. "You're the lucky strumpet that escaped. But, you've come back. Why would you come back?" Suddenly Valen found himself slowly toppling backwards, unable to move or speak. He saw the moss covered ceiling above him.

The last thing he saw was her wicked grin as she whispered to him: "You're going to die in here."

* * *

Lilia sat at the bottom of Lake Rumare, watching the light of the sunrise play against the surface of the water. She renewed her water breathing spell.

It had been hours since she'd run back out of the sewers. She was sure no one had seen her as she'd made her way back down through the ruins. Not having any place that she wanted to go, she'd swum down to the bottom of the lake. She'd focused her attention on the sounds of her heartbeat, trying to slow its frightening pace. She felt almost calm again.

Lilia was starting to wonder if she really was going mad. She hadn't minded killing Valen; in fact she'd enjoyed it. She could hear her heart rate increase in excitement at the thought of the way the purple glow had faded in front of her eyes as he died. By killing him, she'd felt as if she had taken a small revenge on the fates that had put her through such pain. Struggling, she pushed the thoughts from her mind and started studying the patterns of the light again.

After a few more hours she started swimming slowly up towards the far bank. She didn't want to, but it was time to go back.

* * *

Iounus made his way down the dank hallway. He was carrying a tray with a small bowl of weak soup and a stale crust of bread on top. He hated this part of the job. Actually, he hated all the parts of his job.

"Valen, it's dinner time. I know you're going to miss our excellent cooking when you're gone." Balancing the tray he glanced down to the keys he held in his hands. Looking towards the lock what he saw through the bars made him drop the tray, lukewarm soup splashing onto his steel armour.

Valen Dreth was dead. He was hanging from a ring in the ceiling, wearing nothing but his shirt. Looking closer the Imperial could see that he'd used his pants to commit suicide. He'd seen it before with other prisoners who had spent a long time in jail. They couldn't face the idea of being on the outside.

Iounus cursed as he headed back up the hallway. Now he would have to fill out all sorts of paperwork. He hated that part of the job.


	14. Chapter 14: The Pieces Fit

"Are you sure I can't go look?" Vicente was seated at the small table in Ocheeva's private quarters. The Argonian was sitting across from him, drinking a warm cup of tea. He watched as she raised the cup towards her mouth, and then inhaled a portion of the amber liquid with a soft whoosh through the spiky teeth. He'd never gotten used to the drinking habits of Argonians.

"Vicente, she only left yesterday morning. I'm sure she'll be back soon." She lowered her cup and gave him a reassuring smile.

"But she completed the contract yesterday, just after noon. You are sure about the time?" He didn't understand it, but Ocheeva claimed to have a mystical connection to the Night Mother. She had the eerie ability to know when a contract was successfully completed, no matter the distance.

"Yes, I'm sure of it. I'd just finished writing to Lucien, asking for another guardian. I still can't believe that this one didn't even last a week." She tried to keep her tone light. She too was worried about the missing assassin. She knew it was already early evening outside. If Lilia had completed the contract when Ocheeva had felt the familiar swell of pleasure in her chest yesterday, then almost a day and a half had passed. It didn't take longer than a few hours, even on foot, to return to the sanctuary from the Imperial City.

"But what if she's been caught? What if she's injured? How long do we wait before we start looking?" Vicente was giving her a very intent stare.

"If she'd been caught we would have heard about it by now. Our sources in the legion are…" She was startled when the vampire stood from his chair and quickly walked out of the room. Gently placing her cup on the saucer she rose to follow. Lilia must be home.

Rounding the corner she saw her assumption was correct. Lilia was in the middle of the room, trapped in a giant hug from Gogron. Though none of her fellow Sisters or Brothers knew her that well she was one of the family, and they'd all been concerned at her failure to return after Ocheeva had mentioned that she'd already completed her contract. Gogron, who'd taken a real shine to her since he'd helped her pass the third test, had been particularly nervous. Vicente was trying to convince the Orc to put her down while asking her if she was okay. Ocheeva wasn't sure if he was asking about injuries received on the mission or fresh ones inflicted by the overenthusiastic Orc. Moving forward Ocheeva greeted her newest member.

"Dear Sister, it warms my heart to see you again. Truly, you are blessed in the eyes of our Unholy Matron. Now Gogron, let her be." The Orc was moving to give Lilia another bone-crushing hug. "I'm sure you want to relax. Go, rest." Ocheeva gave the assassin a gentle pat on the arm.

"Thank you. It's good to be home." Lilia said as she made her way down the hall, vampire trailing behind. Turning her attention to the massive, smiling Orc, Ocheeva sighed.

"Gogron, stop grinning. We have work to do."

* * *

Vicente was disappointed to find that nothing had changed in Lilia's attitude towards him. Once they'd reached the privacy of their shared quarters he'd given her a friendly hug, only to feel her stiffen in his arms. He'd quickly released her and stepped away.

"Vicente, how did everyone know that I'd completed the contract yesterday?" Lilia asked him as she moved to unpack her bag.

"When a contract is fulfilled Ocheeva senses it. She has a spiritual connection to the Night Mother." He watched her nod as she heard the answer. "Now tell me, what happened? What kept you so long?"

"If I'd known you all would worry so much I would've come back sooner. I decided to do a little sightseeing on my way back. Nothing happened." Lilia had a large grin on her face as she gently teased the vampire. "I'm glad everyone has such confidence in my abilities."

Vicente decided to change the subject. "Have you eaten yet?"

"Yes, thank you. But I didn't sleep last night, so I'm probably just going to go to bed." She stepped into her alcove, pulling the curtains behind her. He could see by her movements that she was changing into her voluminous nightgown.

"Very well. You'll want to be rested when our guests arrive tomorrow. I was just about to head out anyway." Her saw her head poke out through the curtain.

"Wait, guests? Who? Don't you dare run off without answering." He chuckled as he saw her form through the curtain, obviously struggling to untie her black pants. He laughed out loud when he heard her curse and saw her pull out her dagger, bringing it in towards the stubborn laces. A quick motion later the pants were off and she'd thrown the curtains open. "Sit." She commanded the vampire to his chair at the table.

"We're going to have a small dinner party tomorrow. Our revered Speaker will be joining us, along with another Speaker from a different sanctuary, Banus Alor."

"Why? Do assassins often host parties?" She gave him a mischievous grin.

"Of course not. If you must know, the party is in your honour. A welcome to the family party, if you will. Everybody gets one."

"But how did you know I would be back in time for the party?" She asked.

"Valen had to be killed before his scheduled release today. Allowing for travel time you should have been home yesterday." It was his turn to tease. "Besides, if you'd failed in your duty the Wrath of Sithis would have given you a visit, and we'd be having a wake instead of a party. Either way, I'm sure the others would have enjoyed themselves." Lilia reached across the table and gave the vampire a gentle poke in the arm.

"Not funny. But why didn't you tell me earlier? I don't think I have anything to wear." Vicente knew that Lilia's wardrobe seemed to suffer greatly. She'd ruined an entire outfit while on her first contract, and he guessed that her black pants would now never be the same again.

"Just wear your yellow dress. Nobody besides me has seen it, and you look beautiful in it." The smile he gave her faltered when he saw her shift further away from him. He couldn't contain his frustration.

"Damn it Lilia, what is wrong? Do you think that I'm going to drain you dry? I'd have thought that you'd be more scared of me in my former state." He couldn't hide the bitterness in his words. Distress showed plainly on her face.

"Oh, no, Vicente, I'm so sorry. No, I'm not scared of you. Please, I don't want you thinking that." She was looking earnestly at him.

"Then what is it? What has you so jumpy?" She didn't answer, but blushed furiously instead. Seeing that he would get nowhere with this line of questioning he stood.

"I'm going out. I'll be back in a few hours. Pleasant dreams." He didn't get very far before he felt her hands on his arm, pulling him back.

"Where are you going?" Lilia asked quietly. "Please don't leave because of me."

"My dear, I'm not leaving because of you. I need to feed, that's all. One of the drawbacks of being undead." Vicente flashed her a grin. He saw her look at his teeth. He knew that the fangs weren't currently visible.

"Do you have to kill people when you feed?" The vampire could see she was embarrassed by her question. He suppressed a laugh.

"No, we don't need to kill to feed. Only those who have given in completely to their darker urges tend to do so." Vicente had no respect for the vampires who chose to live as animals, hiding in crypts and caves, killing innocent people in their never-ending desire for more blood. While the urge to give in to his darker thoughts was sometimes strong, all it took was a little willpower to control it.

"How do you prevent making more vampires? I thought people would get infected by vampire bites, and if they didn't die, then they would turn into one too." She was looking at him curiously.

"You remember I mentioned that I'm skilled in restoration magic? All I need to do is cast a strong resist disease spell, a healing spell after I'm done, and a strong cure disease spell just in case. I'm very careful, and in all my years I've never infected anyone else."

"Does it hurt? When you feed on people, I mean. Does it hurt them much?" She was staring at a spot on his chest. He could see that she was blushing again.

"Well, the bite always hurts. But overall, the sensation can range from incredibly painful to…not entirely unpleasant."

"What do you mean?"

"Vampires aren't psychic, though I know you've had your doubts about that." He gave her another smile. "But there does seem to be some sort of connection that gets established when feeding. The vampire's own feelings are transferred, so the donor feels something else besides the loss of blood." He preferred not to think of them as victims. "For example, if a vampire was enraged, it would really hurt. Do you have any more questions?"

"No. Thank you." She was now looking at his feet. That girl was such a puzzle.

"Then I should head out. Goodnight Lilia." He stifled his impulse to kiss the top of her head and again turned to leave.

"Don't go."

"Lilia, I need to feed. Much as I wish I didn't need to, I can't ignore it."

"I know. So stay here. You can feed on me. It's safer." Vicente almost staggered in shock. What was she playing at? He'd never met a mortal who would ever volunteer a few pints of blood; at least none who weren't stark raving mad. She was looking right at him, gaze steady. She certainly didn't seem to be raving.

"Thank you for the offer, but I'd rather not."

"Please. I know it sounds crazy, but, well, umm, please?" Words seemed to fail her. Lilia was blushing furiously again. He could see that she was sincere in her offer. He pondered her motives as she stared at his knees. Was she merely curious? Was she concerned about his safety? There were always risks when feeding. The person could wake up, someone else could see. The vampire had had to flee quickly more than a few times in his life.

"Lilia, look at me. Are you sure about this? Do you realize what you are asking?" She looked into his eyes, her gaze intense.

"Yes."

Vicente wasn't sure what to do next. If she really wanted to go through with this, it would be the first time he'd ever fed on someone awake. He quickly looked around the room. Normally his donors were asleep in their beds, or on the ground, and it was a simple matter of leaning over them to do the deed. Briefly he considered seating her in a chair, but bending over to feed would be too awkward. Finally he came up with an idea.

"Go sit on the edge of your bed." As she moved towards the bed he made sure that the doors were locked. He certainly didn't want any of his family members to see what was about to happen. Making his way over to her bed Vicente sat behind her, pulling her towards his chest. With his left hand he cradled her head, and he wrapped his right arm around her. He was worried that she might faint.

"Are you sure you're sure?" He asked once more.

"Yes." Lilia said very softly.

Bringing his face down to her neck, he placed his lips on her skin. He felt the familiar tensing of her muscles, but the soft involuntary sigh that escaped her made him draw back. Suddenly all of those signals, the stares, the tense muscles, the quickened pulse, fit into place. She hadn't been frightened of him. He leaned over to the right, twisting his body so he could see her face. She was staring at him.

"Is it true? Lilia, are you attracted to me?"

"Yes."

Vicente couldn't find words to express his feelings. Not only did he find her fascinating, he also found her incredibly desirable. But he'd never dreamed that she would be interested in him. Reflecting bitterly, he realized that he'd been suppressing his libido for decades. Most people wouldn't dream of dating a vampire.

He was suddenly surprised by the soft warmth of her lips on his mouth. He pulled her closer and returned the kiss.

Afterwards he reflected that there truly were some things that you never forgot how to do.


	15. Chapter 15: Social Event of the Season

Lying against his chest, feeling her own warmth reflected back on her, Lilia absent-mindedly stroked her neck. He'd been right, the bite had hurt. But after…

She giggled as she thought of his words. "Not entirely unpleasant." That was one way of putting it. While she had felt the blood flowing through the punctures in her skin, the feelings she'd received from him, tenderness, affection, and a healthy dose of lust, had been far stronger.

"Are you okay?" She felt him move as he lifted his head to look down at her. Lilia knew he was asking so many questions with the three words. Was she distressed by the bite? Was she unhappy with what had happened? Did she regret it?

"I'm more okay than I've been in a very long time." She replied simply, meaning every word.

She awoke early the next morning. Looking at the vampire next to her, Lilia again marveled at how someone so wonderfully vibrant could be undead. He was lying on his back, arms crossed on his chest, not moving or breathing. By all appearances he looked like a corpse, albeit a remarkably attractive one. Rolling onto her side, she took a strand of his long hair and tickled him under his nose.

"I can feel that, you know." The familiar voice said. "You're being a bad girl. Go back to sleep."

Propping herself up she stared into Vicente's face, her grey eyes flashing.

"Bite me."

He was only too happy to oblige.

* * *

Sitting behind the curtain she looked at her reflection. The pale yellow dress really did look nice on her. Looking down, Lilia smiled at the remembrance of Augusta's generous offer to help back in that tiny little room. Today she had happily applied the corset trick while dressing. She surveyed her face once more, impressed once again how magically make up could transform it. Without it she considered herself pretty, but plain. With it, she felt exotic. The dark kohl around her eyes really made them pop, and her lips were stained a dark berry red. She'd even used magic to style her hair into soft curls, using a combination of fire and ice to wet it, and then magical warmth to shape it. It had been a very long time since she'd had anyone she wanted to look good for.

"Are you almost done? They're already here, and it isn't a good idea to keep a Speaker waiting." Vicente's voice called through the curtain.

Stepping out she was pleased by the vampire's reaction. His eyes didn't seem to know which part to ogle first. He let out a low whistle.

"You sure clean up nice."

"Thanks. You look very handsome too." Her voice dripped with sarcasm. But he did look good, dressed in a dark green shirt embroidered with gold threads along the collar and cuffs. The style was very out of date, but it suited him perfectly. She'd always preferred some of the older fashions anyway.

"Forgive me. Oh darling, your radiance outshines the moons of Nirn. Your loveliness renders me speechless, for what can one say about such beauty? How best to describe your flaming tresses, your seductive eyes, your rosebud mouth, your mounded…"

She cut him off with a kiss. "I think I preferred the first compliment better. Let's go greet our guests."

"Wait." Curious, Lilia watched as Vicente struggled to remove a ring from his pinky finger. "I want you to have this."

She was shocked when she held the ring. Looking at it, the gold and ebony band, set with a small red diamond in the centre, she could feel the strong magic it contained.

"It's the ring of Linoril." He didn't need to explain further, she recognized the name. A necromancer had been obsessed with trying to find a way to harness the advantages of vampirism without any of the drawbacks. The closest he ever came was with the trapped soul of Linoril, a very powerful vampire ancient. "It confers near immunity to poisons, paralysis, and disease upon the wearer. Since I am already a vampire, I've never been able to test if the immunity is full or not, so try not to get yourself poisoned."

Slipping the ring on the middle finger of her right hand she immediately felt the magic take hold. It was as if the blood that flowed through her veins had been fortified.

"Vicente, thank you. This is too generous."

"Please, think of it as an investment on my part. What would I do if I lost my meal ticket?" Laughing, she gave him a swift smack on the ass.

"Cheeky devil. Now are you going to escort me, or do I need to go alone?"

Holding out his arm, he led her through the wooden doors.

* * *

Looking around at the dark grey stone walls of the main hall Banus once again thanked the Night Mother that it wasn't his home. He never understood why this sanctuary had been built underground, with no source of natural light. For that matter he didn't understand why it was in a city anyway. Cities were terrible locations for those who wanted to come and go unobserved. He was always surprised that it hadn't been raided by the legion decades ago.

His thoughts turned to his own sanctuary. It was located on a small island off the coast of Anvil. Only one side of the island had a gentle enough slope to allow passage up to the top; the other sides were sheer cliffs. A thick layer of trees shielded the sanctuary, and its encircling spiked walls, from view. When he ate dinner at home he could sit on his balcony and watch the sun sink into the ocean. The only similarity between the two sanctuaries lay in their terrible reputations. His island was said to be cursed, a place that no one returned from. His assassins made sure that the legend came true for any fool who dared step on the island.

Looking around the room he saw the familiar faces of the rest of the sanctuary members. Ocheeva, Teinaava, M'raaj-Dar, Antoinetta, Gogron, and Telaendril were all present tonight. They were making small talk and sipping punch. The long table from the dining room had been brought out to the main hall, an assortment of old wooden chairs pushed around it. A red tablecloth, found Sithis knows where, covered the table. Torches burned brightly in their sconces on the walls, but even they had a hard time dissipating the gloom.

"So Lucien, where is this unusual assassin you've been telling me about?" The Dark Elf turned to the man standing by his side. It was always strange seeing Lucien without his Black Hand robes. It was very rare that the assassins met in a social setting.

"Umph." Lucien answered, an odd expression on his face. Banus followed his gaze.

He was shocked at the altered appearance of the vampire. He'd known Vicente longer than anyone else, and did remember a time when he hadn't been a full vampire. At that point he'd been an almost full vampire, only slightly juicier in appearance. But he'd never seen him look so human. As Vicente came towards him he took a good look at the newest Dark Brotherhood member. Lucien hadn't mentioned that she was relatively pretty, but it was the dress that really caught his eye.

"Greetings Speaker. Please allow me to introduce Lilia, our newest Slayer. Lilia, this is Banus Alor, Speaker of the Anvil sanctuary. I'm sure you remember Lucien."

"I'm very pleased to meet you." She offered her hand to the Dunmer. Taking hold of it, he bent to give it a quick kiss.

"The pleasure is all mine. Lucien has told me many things about you, but he failed to mention your remarkable beauty." Banus gave her a disarming smile.

Lilia quickly surveyed this new Speaker. Banus was dark for a Dunmer, his skin far more grey than blue. His eyes were the typical red, and his hair jet black. Judging from his appearance and accent she guessed that he hailed from Vvardenfell, the island that was just off the mainland of Morrowind.

"Lilia, always a pleasure to see you again." Lucien spoke to her, giving her a slight bow. He greeted the vampire next to her. "You're looking rather well, Vicente. Perhaps I should send you new recruits more often."

"Thank you Lucien, but I have my hands more than full with this one. Banus, it's always good to see you. How are the members of your sanctuary?"

As the vampire and Speaker fell into chatting, Banus was amused to see Lucien offer Lilia his arm. He watched the other Speaker as he studiously escorted the Slayer to her seat at the end of the table, less than three feet away.

* * *

Relaxing over his wine, dinner plate scraped clean, Banus looked again at Lilia, seated at the end of the table to his left. She'd been a delightful dinner companion. They'd had a wonderful conversation, though he seemed to have done most of the talking. Leaning forward, he gave her a smile as he spoke.

"Lilia, please, I want to hear the details from you. Is it true that you managed to infiltrate the Imperial prison, fake a suicide, and sneak back out again without getting caught? How did you do it?" By now news of Valen Dreth's sudden suicide had become common gossip.

"Very carefully." She smiled back as she replied.

"And Rufio. A pillow, such an inspired choice. Where did you come up with that idea?" Lilia gave a quick laugh.

"Lucien, actually. When he told me that the man slept his days away, the idea just presented itself."

"But what about Baenlin? His nephew Caenlin kicked up a fuss, claiming that the accident was no accident, wanting to get the larger insurance payout for murder. Investigation by the city guard found no supporting evidence, not even one footprint in the dusty crawlspace. Please, tell me how you did that." Banus was mildly aware that conversation among the other assassins was dropping off.

"I used the walls to move instead. They were close enough together, it was easy to brace myself against them." She airily waved her hand, eyes quickly glancing down the table. "But tell me about your latest contract. When was the last time you got a chance to go out on assignment?"

"Nice try, but I'm not through with you yet." Banus laughed. "What I really want to know about is what happened at the bandit camp. Did you really cut up the four bandits and feed them to the mud crabs?" In the brief pause before she answered, Banus noticed that all other conversation had died off and the assassins were all looking at Lilia.

"Something like that. Really, it was so long ago, and I was desperately tired. I'm sure Lucien could fill in the details." She flashed a quick smile to the Speaker sitting at her left.

"Ah, but I've already heard everything from Lucien. I wanted to hear it from your own very pretty lips." He gave her a quick wink.

She leaned over to Banus and whispered in his ear. "Filthy fetcher."

Banus roared with laughter, recognizing the teasing insult from his home province of Morrowind. Now the assassins were all staring at him.

"Fine. But one last question, and then I'm finished. Is it true that you not only managed to get the city guards to kill the pirate captain Tussaud for you, but that you then went on a breakfast date with the Watch Captain?"

"Is that true? You never mentioned that to us." Vicente's voice came from the other end of the table. Lilia gave a small sigh. Banus could feel some tension in the air.

"No, I didn't mention it. It was my first contract, and I was afraid that everyone would think less of me if they knew that I hadn't done the killing."

The sound of Gogron laughing broke the silence. "Lilia, you managed to get a target killed by the legion itself. That's bloody brilliant!" The other sanctuary members murmured in agreement, and conversation resumed once more around the table.

Leaning in once more Lilia very softly asked Banus a question. "And you said Lucien told you these tales?"

* * *

After dessert the assassins were enjoying tea and Cyrodiilic brandy. Banus was feeling very relaxed indeed. He watched Teinaava rise out of his chair.

"And now, the moment I'm sure we've all been waiting for, it's time for the entertainment. Lilia, if you'd be so kind as to sing us a song."

"I'll do no such thing. I don't sing." She was laughing at the idea.

"Come now Lilia, we all had to sing at our parties. Even myself." Gogron's voice boomed down to her.

"I'm afraid he's right, dear Sister. It's a rite of initiation into the family." Ocheeva added her voice to the noises of encouragement.

"Really, you don't want me to sing. I'm warning you." Lilia shook her head.

"Lilia, I'm afraid you don't have a choice. I'm ordering you to sing for us." Vicente smiled as he spoke.

"Uh oh Lilia. You'd better start singing. You don't want to tangle with the Wrath of Sithis. I spent all morning scrubbing the floor, and I'd rather not have to mop up your blood." Gogron called out.

"Very well." She stood up and stepped behind her chair. "But don't say I didn't warn you."

She cleared her throat, and launched into the first verse of _The Lonely Farmer's Daughter and Her Magic Carrot_.

Lucien began to cough desperately, having swallowed a mouthful of hot tea down the wrong pipe. Luckily, or perhaps unluckily, for him, M'raaj-Dar was sitting next to him and began pounding him on the back. Banus watched in amusement as in between coughs, dagger at the Khajiit's throat, Lucien hissed that if M'raaj-Dar touched him again he'd very happily send him to meet the Dread Father.

Meanwhile Lilia had started strutting around the table, trying to move like a sultry barroom singer. He noted that she could carry a tune, but she'd certainly never be a famous bard. Reaching the chorus she gestured for everyone to sing along. By the time the song was done Banus couldn't hold back the laughter. The entire group of assassins was singing happily along to the final chorus, and when Lilia had toyed with Gogron's hair during one particularly descriptive verse he'd learnt that Orcs could, in fact, blush.

Song over, she returned to her seat at the table to loud applause. Banus leaned over to her.

"I thought you said you couldn't sing."

"I never said that I couldn't sing. I said that I didn't sing."

* * *

The hour was very late, and the assassins started to drift off towards their beds. Banus took the opportunity to say good night to Lilia.

"Muthsera, it has been an honour to make your acquaintance. If you ever feel like a change of scenery, the golden shores of Anvil will always welcome you." He took her hand and gave it a gentle kiss.

"Serjo, the honour has been all mine. Night Mother's blessing upon you." She gave a small curtsy. Glancing around she spotted Lucien and Vicente speaking quietly in a corner of the room. She made her way over to them.

"Lucien, it was very good to see you again. Vicente, I'm going to head to our room. Try not too be to long." With a wave she headed off down the hallway.

Banus watched her go, musing to himself. Perhaps living in the Cheydinhal sanctuary did have some advantages after all.


	16. Chapter 16: The Perils of Buckles

Lilia sat at the round table, thoughts whirling as she waited for Vicente. It was over an hour after she'd said good night to the group, and she was exhausted. But she knew she wouldn't be able to sleep until she'd spoken to the vampire first. She shivered again. Having to spend an entire dinner sandwiched between two Speakers had left her feeling very cold.

"Damn that talkative bastard!" She cursed Lucien once more in her head, and then cursed herself. She thought she'd felt cold curling around her ankles during her time at the docks, but she'd attributed it to the cool air coming in off the water. With so many bodies moving around she'd never noticed Lucien in the crowd. Not only had he followed her to the Inn of Ill Omen, he'd followed her on her first contract. She again wondered if that was a standard practice for him with new recruits, or if she was special in some way.

Her stomach flipped as she thought of Vicente's voice when he'd asked her if what Banus said was true. She wasn't worried that he'd be jealous, but rather hurt that she hadn't told him anything about the contract at all. What was taking him so long?

Her mind then returned to the memories of her performance. Almost all of the assassins had seemed to enjoy the bawdy tune. But she noticed that Antoinetta kept quiet, alternating her creepy stare between Lucien and herself. Lucien as well hadn't sung along, though she was sure he knew all of the words by heart. He'd also been staring at her, occasionally looking at Vicente instead, though he was far subtler than Antoinetta. And she'd noticed that Vicente had been looking at all three of them.

Was Antionetta jealous? Was Lucien? Of who? She remembered how hard it had been to move around, teasing the men and encouraging the women, without getting too close to Lucien, Vicente, Antionetta, or M'raaj-Dar. She couldn't imagine what the Khajiit would have done if she'd ruffled his fur, but she imagined it wouldn't have been pleasant. If anyone had cause to be jealous it would be Telaendril, though Lilia knew the Bosmer loved it whenever Gogron was embarrassed. Poor Gogron. He'd been such an easy target.

During dinner she'd realized that it wasn't going to be easy for her to keep her affair with Vicente secret. They'd both decided that given their family members' already skeptical view of their relationship it wouldn't be wise to go public, at least as long as he was in charge of her and her contracts. She'd had to stifle several impulses to smile, wink, or otherwise flirt with him. She decided it was his fault for being so damn attractive.

Suddenly the doors flew open and the vampire stalked in, clearly upset. While she didn't have the ability to read his body's secret cues, she was able to decipher the expressions on his face. He was far more expressive than he realized.

"Damn that talkative bastard!" Vicente slammed the doors shut behind him. Lilia had never seen him so angry. She was glad that it seemed to be directed at the Speaker, not her.

"Vicente, please, lower your voice. Too often walls have ears." She pointed up at Ocheeva's quarters, which is where the two speakers had been installed to spend the night, another pair of spare beds having been pulled out from somewhere within the sanctuary. With her mind she could see that they were both lying in bed, but she couldn't tell if they were sleeping or not.

"You're right. Come with me." Vicente quickly led her through the sanctuary, through the hated stone door, and up to the top floor of the abandoned house. "We should be free to speak here."

Lilia made sure that her detect life spell was strong. She didn't feel any chills on her legs, so she mentally agreed with Vicente's statement. They should be able to talk without being overheard.

"Vicente, what happened?"

"Lucien, that's what." The vampire let out a big sigh. Even though he didn't need to breathe, he found that some subconscious expressions of emotion lingered even after death. "He's never really liked me, you know. One night, years ago, he was completely drunk from cheap flin, and he told me that I was too calm."

"Too calm?" That didn't sound like much of an insult to Lilia.

"Too detached, too smart, too inhuman. He was frustrated that I was better skilled than him, but that I chose not to kill indiscriminately like he did. He doesn't seem to feel that I earn my keep, which is why he gave me the job of training new recruits. It used to be something that was rotated among the senior sanctuary members, and I just happened to get Lucien all those years ago."

"Wait, what do you mean by not killing indiscriminately?"

"Of course, you don't know. You're not the only one who has restrictions on which contracts to accept. When I was found by the Dark Brotherhood, over 200 years ago, I had been hunting a rather nasty vampire ancient." He noticed her curious stare. "Oh, yes, I have little love for vampires, especially those that kill or infect others. Anyway, I'd just managed to reduce him to a pile of ash when I found myself surrounded by assassins. They'd had a contract on him as well. As I said, he was rather infamous. Contracts to assassinate the undead were more common back then, so they convinced me to join, promising me that I would only ever have to kill those who were already dead. I didn't cost anything in terms of food, and I kept the other members from getting killed or infected on the job."

"Vicente, why did you join?" Lilia had put her arm around him.

"Do you want the truth? I was lonely. I was so lonely I thought I would lose my mind. I'd been wandering for a hundred years, not trusting myself to establish any sort of relationship with a mortal, and I didn't quite care for my kin." He made an expression of disgust.

Lilia looked at the man beside her. So that's why his soul was innocent. He'd never killed anyone but the already damned.

"But what happened with Lucien tonight?"

"He tried to get me to order you to move out into the living quarters, as in a Wrath of Sithis order. Seems he's been hearing rumours, and he expressed his concern at my suddenly well-fed appearance." Lilia knew how wounded Vicente felt. He obviously had strong feelings on the subject, and being accused of feasting on her in secret would sting terribly.

"What did you tell him?"

"I told him that if he had concerns he should speak directly to you. I also told him that I would never order you around over something so trivial, Sithis be damned!" She kissed him on the cheek.

"That must not have gone over well. Was there anything else?" Suddenly Vicente grabbed her in a big hug.

"No, just trivial things. But he's learnt how to upset me. I guess I'm not so calm anymore." Releasing her, she felt his curious gaze on her face. "So who is this mysterious Watch Captain that you've been seeing behind my back?"

As the dawn slowly filtered in through the boarded-up windows Lilia told Vicente the whole story. Well, almost the whole story.

* * *

Sleeping in late, they decided to dine in their quarters. Vicente was explaining Lilia's newest contract to her.

"Wait, so I can't kill him?" She was absent-mindedly playing with the poisoned dagger in her hand, and Vicente had to resist the urge to pull it away from her.

"No. You are to stab him..."

"In front of a witness." She interrupted.

"Yes. Stab him in front of a witness with the langourwine poisoned blade…"

"And then resurrect his worthless ass with the antidote." She was frowning at the dagger. "So who do I kill?"

"No one." He really was surprised at her bloodthirstiness. Recalling the way she'd taken her time setting up the gravesite on Dive Rock, the way she'd said what he guessed was a prayer to the Nord gods on behalf of the dead, he had trouble believing that the same woman was sitting here in front of him.

"But what if he dies?"

"How could he die? You're just poisoning him, the antidote will cure him."

"But what if I accidentally cut his head off?"

"Then you'll have to face my wrath instead of Sithis'. Lilia, you can't kill him."

"But what if he dies after I give him the antidote? What if, say, a horse ran over him?"

"Lilia, no."

"But what if he dies after I leave him at the inn?"

"Lilia, no."

With a large sigh she put the dagger back into its sheath. "Fine, I'll do it your way, but I'm not happy about it."

* * *

Both she and Vicente had been conspicuously absent from brunch that morning. When they finally made their way to the main hall Ocheeva chided them for their tardiness.

"Both Speakers have already left, and you didn't even say goodbye. I am disappointed in your lack of manners, and you, dear Brother, in neglecting your duty to keep this one from such failings." Lilia was always amused by the way Ocheeva mothered the assassins.

"Please forgive me dear Sister. We both overslept and are ashamed of our bad reflection on your sanctuary. I hope you will forgive us." Vicente made a small bow to the Argonian, and Lilia quickly tried to look ashamed.

"Oh, very well. If it was an accident I can't really blame you. But don't let it happen again." Ocheeva moved off to reclaim her quarters.

Looking around to make sure the coast was clear Vicente quickly climbed up and unlocked the well, gracefully dropping back down to the floor. He watched Lilia make her way up the ladder. He might not be able to give her a key, but there was nothing in the rules about not unlocking the secret entrance for her.

* * *

Lilia wasn't happy with the contract. She had to fake the death of Francois Motierre, a heartless bastard that offered his mother's life to Sithis so he could get away from his gambling debts. She was standing invisible under the massive great oak of Chorrol, the emblem of the city. Looking at the tree she couldn't even begin to guess how old it was. Hundreds of years, at least. She shifted position and again cursed her Dark Brotherhood armour. She'd never worn it before, so the leather tended to creak as she moved. Lilia still hadn't figured out what to do with all of the straps, so occasionally she would hear the soft tink of metal as the buckles bounced against each other. She much preferred clothes for stealth. While they offered far less protection, she had also never had a pair of pants that clinked when she walked.

She'd studied the part of her face that was visible under her hood from as many angles as possible with the small mirror in her pack before she'd been satisfied. With the dark red tone on her already dusky skin she felt she could pass as a Redguard. She'd slicked back her hair and had covered it with a black scarf. Even if her hood shifted her hair wouldn't be visible. While she loved the colour, she also knew that it was far too easily identifiable.

Shifting once more she again heard a tink. Stifling a curse she pulled out her silver dagger and cut the blasted straps off. The armour didn't fall down. Now if only there was a way that she could quiet the leather.

The sound of the Chapel bells interrupted her thoughts. Time to get this over with.

Invisibly she made her way to Motierre's palatial house. If he didn't have enough money to pay his debts than he must be really on the hook. She still felt no pity for his plight. Knocking on the door softly, in the code she'd been told, she heard him call out from behind the door.

"Is that you? Assassin?"

Gods, she really wished she could kill him. She quickly whispered yes. He opened the door and held it open, his body blocking the entrance.

"Move." She hissed. Moving out of the way he pulled the door closed behind him. She found herself still on the outside of the house. Again, she knocked the code. Again, he opened the door, body in the way. This time she didn't hesitate before shoving him roughly back into the house.

"Hey! Show yourself." Lilia stood motionless in the room, making the Breton sweat. He was middle-aged, his ragged brown hair streaked with grey, his face puffy and creased from too much alcohol. She really wasn't happy. By the time Francois was walking around the room, sweeping the air in front of him with his arms as Lilia dodged out of the way, she decided that she'd had enough fun.

Standing behind the Breton, dagger held to his throat, she let her invisibility spell fall. She hissed into his ear.

"Here's the plan. You're going to wait down here. I'll be waiting upstairs. When the enforcer enters I'll come down and stab you. I know that I then need to wait a day before coming back and reviving your sorry carcass. You might be paying the bill, but I'm calling the shots. Now close your eyes and count to one hundred, or you may find that my blade accidentally goes in too deep. When you're done, whatever you do, don't turn around. You don't want to see me." With that she quickly ran up the stairs.

Lilia passed the time by trying to think of the most painful non-fatal place that she could stab Motierre. But it had to be someplace that would look like a fatal wound to others. Much as she enjoyed the thought of stabbing him in certain rather sensitive regions, she doubted anyone would believe he'd died of the injury. Maybe from the pain, but not the injury. She heard the knock on the door, and the sound of an Argonian demanding to be let in. She heard the Argonian knock again. Hearing him now pounding on the door she hissed for Motierre to answer it. He jerked as he first tried to turn towards her, but then quickly faced the door.

"But I'm not done counting."

"Just open the damned door!" She called down the curses of both the Aedra and Daedra upon his head.

From her vantage point she could see the rust-coloured Argonian enter into the foyer. This had to be Hides-His-Heart, the enforcer. He was dressed in heavy steel armour, an elven longsword held at his side. He gave Francois a wicked smile in greeting.

As far as she was concerned there was no reason to wait. Leaping back down over the stair railing she stabbed Motierre in the back with the poisoned blade, making sure that she didn't hit any vital organs. Shoving the Argonian to the floor she ran out into the night, casting her invisibility spell when she stepped out the door.

She quickly made her way through the streets to the Oak and Crozier inn. She climbed up into the conveniently open window. Grabbing the vampire she gave him a big kiss, letting her invisibility lapse. He took a good look at her.

"If I couldn't smell you I wouldn't recognize you. But what have you done to your armour?"

* * *

Strolling through the foggy night to the Chapel of Stendarr, Lilia felt a little happier. Her time at the inn with the vampire had been delightful. Without the dark atmosphere of the sanctuary she found herself relaxing. Lilia's only regret was that 24 hours had passed so quickly. She grinned broadly to herself. Vicente had explained to her the trick of putting leather armour under her mattress to soften it up in her sleep. While she hadn't done much sleeping, the armour certainly was suppler now. She'd sent it off with Vicente, who'd promised to try and fix the straps. She hadn't been able to convince him not to bother.

Checking to make sure she couldn't see any glowing forms she slipped behind the giant wooden door into the Chapel. Candelabras stood at the end of the rows of wooden pews, warm flickering light throwing a golden glow on the stone tiled floor. The arched roof stood high above her, and she quickly glanced at the large stained glass windows that ringed the walls, now dark, but she knew the beautiful designs that represented the Nine would cast multi-coloured beams of sunlight around the large chapel in the daytime. A round altar stood in the middle of the room, a small pool of holy water set in the centre. Smaller such basins stood under each of the windows; one for each of the Divines. A set of stone stairs led down to the undercroft and living quarters. Creeping down the stairs she made sure she was still invisible.

She unlocked the door to the undercroft with magic and entered. The atmosphere was a marked contrast to the one upstairs. Lilia felt as though she was being watched. She was very familiar with the signs of a curse, and she could sense that one lay heavily in the gloomy crypt. She was starting to feel unhappy again.

Francois' body was easy to locate, lain out on a stone slab awaiting internment in a side alcove. Removing the stopper from the small bottle she jammed it into his mouth, letting the antidote flow down his throat. With a gurgle the man awoke.

"Hello? Where are you? I can't see you." Motierre's voice grated on her nerves.

"Of course you can't. Now get up and let's get out of here." The Breton groggily got to his feet.

"Umm, there may have been a slight detail that I forgot to mention. There's a curse on this crypt. Oh, my, Aunt Margaret. You certainly are looking the worse for wear."

Lilia resisted the impulse to stab him again. She hated zombies, and now three of them were slowly lurching towards her and this wretched little man. Feeling the small dagger in her hand Lilia reconsidered her plan. If she'd had any idea she'd be battling with the disease carrying, foul-smelling, rotting monsters she would have brought something with a longer reach. With a small sigh she let the shock magic flow from her hand. The first zombie started twitching. She could smell the undead flesh sizzle with the electricity. With a thud it fell to the floor. One down.

Turning to the second she again sent a stream of shock magic into the animated corpse. This one took a bit longer before it finally fell. She sent the same spell into the third.

The zombie kept moving towards Francois, though now it was jitter-lurching.

"Francois, get into the main croft and wait at the door! If you see this zombie coming at you then run." The Breton didn't need to be told twice. He ran around the zombie and out of sight.

Lilia let her invisibility spell lapse; she could never hope to send out a strong enough magical charge to kill the zombie while maintaining it. She cursed Francois in her head. His convenient memory lapse had brought her face to face with a dread zombie, the toughest, and smelliest, of them all. And she was starting to feel low on magic. She decided that she'd just have to make do with her dagger while her magicka recharged.

The dread zombie was now lurching towards the doorway of the small alcove, after Francois, who was the cause of the curse being activated. She ran forward and plunged her dagger into its back. Annoyed, the zombie turned and sent her flying into the stone slab. A quick mental check confirmed that nothing had been broken, but she was disgusted to see that melted pieces of zombie flesh now clung to her shirt. The smell was making her ill. Okay, so that plan didn't work. The zombie was now lurching towards her.

Using the stone slab for support she spent some of her magicka on a small healing spell. She wasn't completely better, but at least the pain where the zombie had hit her was lessened. She quickly cursed herself; of course stabbing a zombie in the heart wouldn't work. Half the time their hearts were already rotted away. Moving quickly she ducked under the creature's awkward swing, and then jumped onto its back. Holding onto its head with her left arm her right hand was busy sawing away at the creature's neck, her legs wrapped around its chest. Managing to hold on she was relieved when the head finally came off in her arm. But with the severance of the magical connection that animated the rotten flesh the body quickly toppled to the floor, taking Lilia with it. She landed heavily on her right side.

Kicking the rotten hulk away from her she slowly stood up, this time using her magic to heal herself completely. Examining her clothes she was disturbed to see that she was entirely covered in zombie goo. She really hoped that her ring worked; she didn't relish the thought of catching whatever disease the creature may have been carrying. She had just enough magic left for an invisibility spell. Casting it, she went to find Francois. At least her magicka would finally have a chance to recharge.

He was huddled against the main door, hand clutching the doorknob for dear life. His body betrayed his relief when he heard her whisper at him to open the door.

"Wow, thank you. You've saved my life. I'll be forever in your debt." Francois was addressing her, having been smart enough to trace the source of the curses back to its origin. He winced when he again felt the sharp metal of her blade against his neck.

"I am this close to killing you, Motierre. You say another word and I'll happily take my chances with Sithis' Wrath." With that she pushed him forwards.

After a quick, and fortunately silent, walk Lilia sighed in relief when she watched Francois enter the Grey Mare Inn. She had asked him where he was going just before he'd moved to enter.

"I'll book passage to Summerset Isle. I've got a cousin in Alinor. Thanks again, assassin." He had been addressing the empty air to her right.

Lilia smiled to herself as she stepped behind the Grey Mare Inn and prepared to teleport back to the sanctuary. She was going to write Hides-His-Heart a very informative letter when she got home.


	17. Chapter 17: Sweet Tooth

Shaking off the effects of the stone door Lilia quickly made her way down towards her room. Passing Antionetta in the hall she was startled by the hateful glare that the unusual Breton gave her. She really didn't want to know what went through that woman's mind.

Pushing open the wooden doors she saw Vicente sitting at the table, her Dark Brotherhood leathers spread out on the surface. He'd opened up the seams and was patiently sewing some new straps in. She dropped her pack to the floor as she moved over to give him a kiss.

"Vicente, I told you not to bother. What are all those straps for, anyway?"

"They are for holding small daggers, poisoned darts, throwing stars; all of the usual assassin's tools." He gave her a look when she jostled his arm. "Careful. It's tedious enough stitching leather without having to unpick mistakes."

"Well then leave the cursed straps off the armour. It's not like I have any of those tools anyway, and even if I did I wouldn't carry them so close to my body." She watched the vampire place the armour down on the table as he indicated for her to sit.

"So I take it Motierre is still alive and well?" Lilia made a face at the question.

"Unfortunately yes. Did Ocheeva not tell you?"

"Ocheeva only senses when a person is killed in the name of Sithis. Since she didn't mention anything to me I'll have to take your word for it that he's still alive. You didn't poison him, did you?"

"Vicente, please. Much as I may have wished to I did no harm to that stupid bastard; after all, you did ask me nicely. I report into you, and I don't want to get you into any more trouble with Ocheeva." She gave him a charming smile, which fell a little when he didn't smile back. "Vicente, what's happened?"

"With the completion of your latest contract you have been promoted to Eliminator. You will now receive your contracts directly from Ocheeva; in fact, I believe she has one waiting for you. Congratulations." He certainly didn't sound happy about it.

Lilia sat back in her chair. She wasn't happy about it either. She'd only been in the Brotherhood for less than a month, she'd only completed four contracts, and she'd already advanced two ranks. She was now the same rank as Gogron, and higher ranked than Antoinetta. Suddenly that girl's hateful glare made some sense.

"I passed Antoinetta in the hall. She's not happy about this, is she?"

"Lilia, be careful around that one. While she's certainly not happy about your rapid promotions, I fear that's not what really upsets her. I'm sure you noticed me studying her and Lucien during the party. I believe she thinks that Lucien fancies you." Lilia chuckled. "Don't laugh. I've never seen the Speaker give such quick promotions or potentially dangerous assignments to one so new to the Brotherhood. His motives elude me, but she is jealous and certainly unstable."

"Why would she be jealous? Unrequited love?"

"I fear it's more complicated than that. Years ago she and Lucien used to flirt with each other relentlessly. We all thought it was innocent until they went on assignment together. I don't know what happened, but upon their return she wouldn't stop talking about how wonderful he was, and he seemed distinctly uncomfortable to be around her. My suspicions are that they had a brief affair, and ever since Antionetta has considered Lucien to be her property." Vicente was looking at her intently.

Lilia thought for a moment before speaking again. "And what of Lucien? Why is he trying to get me killed, or wanted by the authorities?" She was still bitter that the last contract made her reveal her career as an assassin to another person and let them live. While she was confident she could never be identified, the thought still rankled.

"That I don't know. It seems strange that he'd give you such dangerous contracts and then promote you so rapidly. You'd better be careful around him too."

"Any other family members that I should worry about?" She was joking now.

"Just me. If you ever got yourself captured or killed you don't want to know what I'd do to you."

* * *

"M'raaj Dar gave me this for you. You never mentioned that you had a sweet tooth." Vicente handed Lilia a small bag. She put down the book that she'd been reading. Glancing at the familiar cover he again read the title, _Ahzirr Traajijazeri_. She must have read it a dozen times by now.

"Of course I don't. It isn't for me." As she spoke she pulled out several vials of skooma and a packet of moon sugar. Counting, she made sure everything was there.

The Khajiit had been extremely irritated when Lilia asked him to source the highly addictive drugs. As the merchant of the sanctuary not only did he sell weapons, poisons, and magical items to his fellow members, but he also sourced and purchased things for them that they wanted for their assignments. By gently threatening him that she'd keep asking about the status of her order Lilia knew that M'raaj-Dar would work as quickly as possible so that he wouldn't have to keep dealing with her. She was impressed; she'd only spoken to him yesterday. He really must not like her.

"And just how do you expect to find Falien in the Imperial City?" Vicente questioned.

"Don't worry. I'm not going to do anything foolish like running around and asking everybody about an Altmer named Falien. That would be a little obvious. Actually, I think I already have a pretty good idea of where I can find him." Standing, she carefully packed the vials and packet into her bag.

"I haven't finished repairing your armour." Vicente blocked her path to the door.

"And I told you not to worry about it. I certainly don't need it for this assignment. If you're so insistent on trying to clothe me then find me another pair of black pants." She pointed down at her pants, which were now held up with a makeshift belt that she'd fashioned out of the straps she'd cut from her armour.

Chuckling, Vicente gave her a kiss before she left the room. "I'll see what I can do."

* * *

Crouched on the tiled roof of the Tiber Septim Hotel Lilia once again reflected on the rather large amount of coincidences that seemed to occur in her life. She'd actually seen Falien the last time she was here.

As Hieronymus had been escorting her up the stairs to breakfast she'd noticed an unusual High Elf coming down. His eyes were glassy, his pupils unnaturally wide. Even though he was young his golden brown hair had already fallen out from the top of his head, and he wore the remaining hair pulled back in a scraggly ponytail. He had also been wearing the latest fashions. Lilia had watched the incongruous mer as he'd walked past, noticing how he occasionally twitched and jerked. Seeing her gaze Hieronymus had mentioned that Falien was a High Elf nobleman, and that he was addicted to skooma.

So when Ocheeva told her that she was to kill an Altmer named Falien who lived somewhere in the Imperial City and was addicted to skooma she'd had to resist the impulse to laugh. That conversation is why she had spent the night staring through the roof of the Tiber Septim, watching the customers inside move around. She was pretty sure she knew which purple aura was Falien's, and she'd been surprised to see that he didn't seem to indulge in his habit while in the hotel. Currently he seemed to be at breakfast. The faint peel of bells from the Temple of the One let her know that it was ten in the morning.

Her pulse increased as she watched the figure move down the stairs to the front door. Seeing him as he crossed the street she knew her guess had been right; it was Falien. Quickly Lilia scrambled down the side of the hotel, making sure her invisibility spell held. His hands were shaking as he made his way to the Elven Gardens District. If he was as badly addicted to skooma as she'd been told then he would be feeling the start of withdrawal symptoms after not having had any all night.

She stretched her arms as she dodged the people walking in the streets. It had been a very uncomfortable night, crouched on the roof, carefully trying to maintain her balance. Lilia was grateful for the walk. Watching intently she saw Falien struggle to control the twitching of his hands as he unlocked the door to a townhouse in the outer ring of the district. Looking through the walls she could see that no one else was home. In his haste the Altmer had left the front door unlocked, so she quickly slipped in, letting her invisibility spell fall, making sure this time the door locked behind her.

"Wha… Who are you?" Falien had obviously wasted no time upon his arrival. Lilia could see a small empty bottle on the table in front of him.

"I'm a friend of yours, Falien." She pulled out a similar bottle from her pocket and held it out to the Altmer.

"Skooma! Skooma, skooma, skooma." The High Elf was giggling with delight as he snatched it from her and quickly drank it down.

"Very good Falien. Would you like some more?" She gave him a wide smile as she offered yet another bottle of the sweet liqueur.

* * *

Standing in the upper floor of the abandoned house Lilia debated her options. She could either go down through that cursed door, or she could try to sneak out through the front door and use her new key to open the well to enter the sanctuary instead. While it meant waiting until there were no guards or citizens passing by, the well easily won.

Refreshing her mark spell Lilia thought about Falien. She'd been surprised at his high tolerance to the drug. He'd obviously been addicted to it for a long time. After feeding him five bottles of the stuff she'd given up and started using the moon sugar. Moon sugar was the crystalline substance that skooma was distilled from, creating the sweet, expensive, and incredibly addictive drink. The highly concentrated moon sugar had done the trick and Falien finally died of an overdose. She'd glanced at him, dead on the floor, surrounded by milky white bottles, and had been satisfied that no one would ever suspect that his overdose hadn't been accidental.

She paced the dusty floor and waited for six hours to pass. After having learnt that Ocheeva could sense when she killed she now knew she had to be extra careful about using her teleportation spell. Ocheeva certainly would ask questions if she turned up fifteen minutes after having murdered someone in the Imperial City.

Her thoughts turned to Lucien. What were his plans for her? She frowned in frustration. She still had no idea what that man was thinking.

As for Antionetta, well, Lilia had developed a mysterious stomach illness just before dinner two nights ago so she could avoid eating the Breton's cooking. She really wouldn't put it past the Slayer to try and poison her, even non-lethally. Lilia made a mental note to ask Vicente to keep a small stash of food in their room for her.

Practicing her exercises, watching the particles of dust dance in the shafts of light that filtered through the boards, she reflected on the absurdity that the only person in the world she felt she could trust wasn't even alive.


	18. Chapter 18: That Old Familiar Feeling

"You switched the salt with rat poison? Dear Sister, you truly are an asset to this sanctuary." Ocheeva meant it as she spoke to her newest Assassin. Lilia had a certain flair for executing her contracts. They were just discussing the fatal dinner party at Summitmist Manor as they stood in Ocheeva's room.

"Yes, and I made sure that the old woman's hairs were in the kitchen and the food, and that traces of poison were on her hands. The watch will assume that she was senile and made a tragic mistake while cooking." Lilia smiled as she spoke.

Ocheeva reviewed her Sister's contracts in her mind. Rufio had died in his sleep, Captain Tussaud had been killed by the Legion, Baenlin suffered a fatal accident, Valen Dreth had committed suicide, Falien had overdosed on skooma, the bandit leader Roderick had died of his illness, and now five people were dead in Skingrad due to accidental poisoning. Other than that strange incident in Chorrol the Dark Brotherhood hadn't been implicated in anything.

"Assassin, step forward. I wish to give you the blessing of the Night Mother." Ocheeva was proud of the young woman in front of her. She'd initially been skeptical when Lucien had given her the next contract and told her to promote Lilia yet again upon her return, but she now knew that the Speaker had been right. She was sure that Lilia would go far in the ranks of the Brotherhood.

"Dear Executioner, you honour me too much." Lilia didn't move as she spoke. "But I'm afraid I must decline at the moment." Seeing the Argonian's surprised expression she hastily continued. "I'm afraid I profaned the Dread Father's name during the last mission. I won't feel worthy until I've sent him at least one soul in penance."

Ocheeva was pleased to see another family member with the proper piety and reverence of Sithis and the Night Mother. She knew that not everyone gave their souls so easily to the Dread Father. And some, like Antionetta, seemed to give their sanity instead.

She gave Lilia a toothy smile. "I understand. It's good to see that Vicente did not neglect to instruct you in your spiritual duties. Now go, rest, and may the Night Mother watch over you." She gave Lilia a gentle pat on the arm.

"You too, mistress." Lilia left through the open wooden doors.

* * *

Vicente was reading _Ahzirr Traajijazeri. _He still wasn't quite sure why Lilia seemed fascinated with this manifesto of the Renrijra Krin, the Khajiiti resistance movement whose main goal was to drive the Empire out of Leyawiin, reclaiming it for Elsweyr. At first he thought she was sympathetic to the cause, which she admitted she was, but he didn't believe that was why she re-read it endlessly. He strongly suspected that it was the book's philosophy of living in the moment, taking pleasure where you could get it, and killing without remorse that attracted her attention.

"Greetings Assassin." He said as she opened the wooden doors.

"Is it a standard practice for Ocheeva to tell everyone else before me about my own promotions?" Seeing the book in his hands she gave him a grin. "Good book, isn't it?"

"Yes, it's a good book, and no, it isn't standard practice. Have you forgotten that I am a vampire, with all of the benefits, including enhanced senses, despite my appearance?" He pointed up at the ceiling. "Did you really put rat poison in the salt container?"

"Oh, yes. So long as the guards don't start wondering too hard about the strange mixture of guests then the deaths will be written off as an accident." She sighed. "Vicente, why have I been promoted again? My last contracts weren't even difficult."

Vicente mused that what she said was true. Killing a skooma addict was the type of contract that new Murderers would cut their teeth on. Sneaking into a bandit lair and replacing medicine with poison was a little harder, but nowhere near as difficult as breaking into the Imperial prison. And killing off a group of five unsuspecting people behind strongly locked doors didn't require much skill.

"Perhaps Lucien is trying to make the other family members kill me instead." Lilia had continued speaking. "I know Antionetta hates me, for her own crazy reasons, and I don't think Telaendril will be too happy that I'm now the same rank as her." The Bosmer was highly ambitious, and she hadn't been too pleased with Lilia's quick rise up the ranks. Vicente was worried about what her reaction would be when she heard the news.

"That sounds like something Lucien would do, but I don't think it's the case. If he really wanted to make Telaendril kill you, for example, then he'd probably start a rumour that you were sleeping with Gogron in her bed, promote you to the rank of Executioner, and put you in charge of her contracts. No, I suspect he has different motivations. Be careful; he's very good at using people as pawns."

"That doesn't surprise me." She flung out a hand towards the wooden doors and Vicente heard the soft click of the lock. "I'm going to bed. Care to join me?"

* * *

Fingering her hair he looked down at the woman curled against his chest.

"Lilia, what are you?"

Without hesitation she looked up at him and grinned. "I'm unique. Just like you. That's why we work so well together."

"That's not what I meant, and you know it. What is your background? Where did you get that hair?" Vicente heard her laugh.

"Let's just say I'm a mix of man and mer, with maybe a little extra thrown in and leave it at that. As for the hair, I'll leave it for you to puzzle out." With that Lilia again rested her head on his chest.

"Very well. Whatever you are, I'm glad that you've come into my life. I love you." He felt her stiffen, and let out a loud laugh.

"Dear child, please don't forget that I've lived far longer than you. I don't expect you to feel the same way about me, and I certainly don't want to guilt you. But I do know that things change suddenly far too often, and I wanted you to know that you are loved."

She gave him a big kiss. Her voice quavering, she spoke. "Thank you. You don't know what that means to me." She lowered her head again, and he thought her heard her sniffle. Very soon he could hear her loud snores. While they weren't quite as noisy as Gogron's, they certainly weren't delicate. She really did amuse him, and he adored her for it.

* * *

Lilia didn't know why she awoke. She had been having a vague, but pleasant dream, when suddenly she was lying on her back, staring at the trapdoor. With dawning horror she realized that her body was once again no longer her own. She heard herself speak, the words sounding flat to her ears.

"Vicente, have you ever created another vampire?"

"No. Why?" She could tell he was trying to see her face in the dark. What was happening to her? Why now?

"Do you know how?"

"Of course. As a vampire, I may pass my gift on to others as I see fit. I've never before met anyone worthy of it though. Why, do you want me to use my powers to turn you into a vampire?" He joked.

"Yes." She felt as if the world had dropped away from her. She began pleading with the gods. Anything but this.

"Do you truly understand what you are asking? That with the advantages comes drawbacks? You'll need to find blood to survive, you will always need to be careful when you sleep, lest you turn outside and burn up in the sun, and you'll be vulnerable to fire. If you go too long without feeding you'll be shunned, or worse. You'll no longer be mortal."

"Yes." Lilia was shocked to hear herself answer. Abandoning the gods, she began pleading mentally with the Daedra for help.

"Once I bite you, it will take three days for the disease to take effect. The next time you sleep after the third day you will become a vampire. You are sure you want this?" Vicente waited for her answer.

"No, there is a faster way." What had she just said? The only way she knew was the method he described. She'd been counting on the three day window before the disease took hold to get to a temple, or drink a cure disease potion if he really did go through with it.

"Yes, there is. But it is much more painful. Are you certain you want me to do it that way?"

"Yes. Hurry." She watched in fear, panic gripping her firmly, as he went over to her dresser. Her small silver dagger was lying on top. Vicente quickly let a wave of fire wash over it to cleanse it, averting his eyes from the blaze.

He got back into bed and picked up her arm, slipping the ring of Linoril off her finger. "I'm going to use the dagger to cut along the vein. I'll drink until you're almost drained, and then introduce my blood to the wound. The disease will spread rapidly through your weakened body. When you awake tomorrow you will be a vampire. I ask you one final time if you are sure that you want this."

"Yes." No! By now she was sobbing in her thoughts. This couldn't be! Why would this be happening to her? What possible reason could there be for her to become a vampire?

When he brought the dagger to her wrist she started screaming in her mind. She continued screaming mentally as she felt the prickling coldness of the disease as it crept from her hand through her arm and into her body. The last thing she felt before everything went black was her heart beat for the last time.


	19. Chapter 19: A New World

Her eyes flew open. The terrible dream came back to her. She'd dreamt she'd been turned into a vampire against her will.

Moving her head, Lilia saw Vicente sitting in a chair next to her bed, his unchanging purple glow highlighting him from within. She then realized that she hadn't cast her spell, and a wave of horror washed over her, as she knew it had been no dream.

Suddenly she felt as if all of her senses had been kicked into overdrive. She could hear Ocheeva above her, scratching a quill on parchment. She could hear a repetitive clang as someone practiced in the training room. She felt more aware of the sheets clinging to her skin than she'd ever been. Looking wildly around, she realized that everything seemed to be somehow more in focus, the contrast between light and shadow more intense. She tried to scream and began to panic when she made no sound. Bringing her shaking hands up to her throat, she worried that she'd been stricken mute as well.

Suddenly she felt Vicente's hands grab her wrists. "Inhale, Lilia, inhale." Raggedly she gulped in as much air as she could, feeling her lungs actually expand in the process. They had been empty. She realized that his hands no longer felt cool to the touch, their temperature now the same as her own.

"Good. Lilia, now exhale. Try to use your nose to breathe."

She closed her eyes and told her body to start breathing. With the first inhalation through her nose she suddenly realized just why vampires were such good hunters. She could smell everything. Ocheeva's scent wafted down strongly from the ceiling. Vicente had a unique fragrance, almost dusty. She'd never noticed that he'd smelt like anything before. She could smell what had been cooked for breakfast in the living quarters (eggs), she could smell who had passed through the hallway from Ocheeva's room (M'raaj-Dar), and she swore she could even smell the composition of the earth that pressed against the stone walls of the room (mostly clay).

Lilia lay still, trying to focus on breathing as her mind raced wildly. She knew she was dead, or rather undead. Though she still had control of all her muscles she could feel that her blood no longer flowed through her veins, the sound of her heartbeat absent. But she still felt like herself. She was shocked at how her thoughts, her feelings, her desires remained hers. She'd expected some lessening of her will, for thoughts that were not her own to replace her reasoning.

But there was something different. It felt as if a dark snake were slithering around the edges of her mind, dry and slippery. It seemed to be hissing constantly at her, demanding blood.

With a small cry of terror she flung herself from the bed, misjudging her new speed and strength, and tripped over the startled Vicente, landing hard with her back striking the corner of her dresser. Ow, so she could still feel pain the same. If anything, she thought it hurt more.

She felt Vicente lift her up as he cast a small healing spell. The pain vanished. He was holding her head in his hands, and she could see worry written plainly on his face.

"Lilia, are you okay? How do you feel? Please say something." Though he spoke softly, his voice sounded loud to her ears.

"I think I'll be okay." She whispered as she threw her arms around him and squeezed tightly, her increased strength almost breaking one of his ribs in the process.

* * *

She was seated at the table, the mirror from the dresser in front of her, as she held her top lip curled up and examined her teeth with her tongue. Vicente let out a small chuckle. Lilia seemed to be relaxing now. 

"You'll find that your appearance hasn't changed. And it won't, so long as you feed regularly. The only thing that will reveal your identity is your aura, so you must be cautious around mages." In his sight he could see that her glow was now steady, unchanging like his own. He reflected that reading her emotions was going to be much more challenging now that her body could no longer betray her thoughts. "You needn't worry about M'raaj-Dar, he has no skill in mysticism."

He'd been instructing her in her new un-life. She'd listened intently while she rediscovered her body. He knew that the heightened senses, and remarkably improved speed, strength, and agility, took some time to get used to. She was wearing his clothes, a pair of silk pants and shirt. He remembered how long it had taken him to get used to the feel of coarser fibers on the skin. He hadn't been able to wear wool for ten years after he'd changed.

"I'll take you out tonight, and teach you how to feed." Lilia looked at him. Was she excited, repulsed, or merely curious? It was now so hard to tell.

"I'm not going to enjoy it, am I?" The fledgling vampire made a small face of disgust.

"Blink, Lilia. I know it's difficult, but you must learn to blink and breathe regularly if you are to pass as a mortal." Lilia had been doing well with the breathing, but the blinking was a different matter. He'd found that she would forget to close her eyelids for minutes at a time. "You probably won't like it much, but you'll find it very satisfying. You must be careful not to get too thirsty, especially in the beginning. It becomes a lot easier to subjugate that desire with practice."

She sighed, and then looked startled. He chuckled again.

"Yes, you'll find that a lot of the expressions of emotion carry over. The mental connection between your mind and your body has already strongly established ties, so you'll find yourself sighing, laughing, and crying without needing to think about it. But I should point out that you should make sure never to cry in public; even at your most well fed your tears will be bloody."

From what Vicente knew from experience the blood of a vampire didn't flow; it merely sat silently throughout the body. Anything that involved moisture, like tears, or a runny nose, didn't function the same, and sometimes not at all. He'd never heard of a vampire that sniffled. This lack of circulation was one of the reasons that a vampire was immune to paralysis and disease, and essentially immune to poisons. However a poison was introduced into the body it would simply stay there, affecting only the surrounding tissue. It would hurt, and cause damage, but it wouldn't spread. It still wasn't a good idea to get stabbed in the heart, or to drink a strong poison, but their sense of smell could usually warn vampires away from tainted food and beverages. Not that they needed to eat or drink anyway.

* * *

Crouched over the sleeping form of Aldos Othran Lilia lifted her head up and first cast on him a healing spell, followed by a cure disease spell. Her nose crinkling , she stuck her tongue out as she turned to look at the vampire watching over her. 

"It may have been satisfying, but that was disgusting." She waved her tongue in the air, trying to catch a taste of anything else. She'd never enjoyed the rusty tang of blood, and she disliked it even more now that her sense of taste was considerably improved. Hearing Vicente chuckle, she quickly returned her tongue to her mouth. She was thankful that vampires couldn't blush.

"You did a good job for your first attempt. Next time, try to form a better seal with your lips." He was bent over, gently wiping a small trickle of blood off the sleeping Dunmer's neck that had escaped her as she'd fed. "Now watch, and I'll show you how I do it."

His quick, controlled movements impressed her. It had taken her a few bites before she'd hit the vein, but he found it unerringly. Again, Lilia was glad that the Dark Elf was so incredibly drunk. She couldn't begin to imagine what she would have done if he'd woken up.

"Now come with me, and I'll show you some of the new things that you can do." With that Vicente took her hand and led her to the small bubbling creek that flowed through the town.

* * *

It was mid-morning by the time they returned to the sanctuary. Lilia had come to realize that she would be able to handle being a vampire, at least until she could go get the cure. In fact, she'd actually enjoyed herself last night. Other than the blood-drinking part. 

Since neither of them needed to breathe they had been able to slip out of town under the stone walls by walking underwater along the creek bed. A decaying iron grate that had been there for years had several bars already missing, so they had squeezed through the opening and out into the surrounding countryside.

She and Vicente had frolicked through the thick woods. Musing about it, she thought that frolicked was the only term that fit. They'd been laughing as they'd had competitions to see who could jump higher or run faster, Vicente reminding her to blink all the while. She hadn't been too embarrassed when she'd overestimated her agility and come crashing down as she'd tried to jump from one tree branch to another, though it had really hurt. He'd taken her around the uneven terrain, pointing out farms, ruins, and caves.

As they'd stood beside a calm blue lake watching the sun rise she'd noticed a small purple glow floating a couple of feet above the ground, but nothing was visible to her eyes. Nudging Vicente, she'd asked him what it was. Before he could answer she saw a yellow ball of light reveal itself. Recognizing with horror that it was a Will-o-the-Wisp she'd started running. She'd been halfway to the Jerall Mountains before he'd caught up with her and tugged her back, collapsing over in laughter when she finally stopped. Looking around she'd realized just how far she had run, and had noticed that her legs were exhausted. Vicente had mentioned that vampires did get tired, she just hadn't expected it to happen so easily. It had taken a couple of hours to walk back to town.

As she stood off to the side near the bottom of the well waiting for him to descend she could smell Ocheeva approaching through the hallway. She could also hear the Argonian's soft footsteps, but barely. She was amazed at Ocheeva's skill.

Stepping into the main hall Ocheeva spotted Lilia. She wore a slight look of confusion. Lilia quickly realized that she was dressed in men's clothing.

"Vicente was kind enough to lend me an outfit. I've run out of clothes." She saw Ocheeva smile. Her rapidly shrinking wardrobe had been cause for some teasing from her fellow assassins; at least, from the ones that were still speaking to her.

"Ah, yes, our dear Brother is very generous." Ocheeva was addressing the vampire who'd stepped out of the well. "Though you really should be more careful, Sister. How are you feeling, by the way? You were in your room all day yesterday."

"Yes, I wasn't feeling very well. I think I may have absorbed a small amount of the rat poison, so I spent the day in bed. I'm feeling perfectly all right now though, thanks for asking." Ocheeva gave her a toothy smile at the answer.

"Well that's good then. You're building up your immunity. Just make sure to leave plenty of time between doses. Now if you have a moment, I have a new contract for you." The Argonian motioned towards her room.

"I always have a moment for you, dear Sister." She gave Vicente a quick smile and then followed Ocheeva down the hall.

* * *

Sitting at the round table in their room, Vicente listened distractedly as Lilia received her next contract. He was busy trying to push a thought from his mind. 

When he'd been standing at the bottom of the well, listening to Lilia answer Ocheeva's unspoken questions about her new wardrobe, and spoken inquiries about her health, he realized just what an accomplished liar she really was. Before, her body had revealed her duplicity to him immediately. Most of the time she'd been dodging inquiries about her past, so he'd never worried about it. But now that he could no longer decipher her emotions…

Hearing her enter through the wooden doors he looked up and saw that he didn't need to guess as to her current mood. Her face was set in a deep frown.

"I'm sure you heard that. I'm to go and assassinate the retired Imperial Legion Commander, Adamus Phillida. I'm to succeed where two assassins have already failed." She sat down heavily into her chair.

"Ah, but Ocheeva didn't tell you why they failed. Adamus has been in the back pocket of the Brotherhood for years. He would make his speeches and send out his patrols, but we were the ones paying him to gather information for us, and to occasionally look the other way when things got…complicated. The last two assassins weren't quite fitting in with the family, and Adamus was warned about their plans in advance. They were destined to fail." He tried to reassure her, but her face was dark with rage.

"So he is trying to kill me! This is a set up! What am I going to do?" Lilia had jumped out of her chair and was now rapidly pacing around the room, waving her arms in frustration.

"Lilia, calm down. I'm sure Lucien isn't trying to have you killed. It wouldn't make any sense, you haven't failed a contract yet." Vicente tried to soothe her, but doubts were now creeping into his own mind.

She stopped suddenly and spun on him. "But you just said so yourself! Phillida, that corrupt Imperial bastard, was warned in advance. The assassins were the ones scheduled for death, not him. Why would now be any different?" Vicente let out a big sigh.

"I'm not supposed to know this, and neither should you, but I overheard Telaendril reporting to Ocheeva a few days ago. It seems Adamus has outlived his usefulness; he's been demanding more money, even though he is no longer in a position to help the Brotherhood. I sincerely believe that this time, the contract is meant for him. Now please, calm down, and have a seat." He pointed to her empty chair.

"No, I should head out now. Maybe I can get to Phillida before he's warned." She grabbed her pack and headed towards her dresser.

"You'll do no such thing. What you are going to do is get some sleep, and then feed on Aldos before heading off to Leyawiin. You're a vampire now, and a brand new one at that. You need to realize that you can't just run off as you feel like anymore. You must start planning more carefully. And above all…" He paused, waiting to make sure that he had her full attention.

"Yes?" Lilia had stopped stuffing things into her bag and was now looking right at him.

"For the love of Sithis, please try and remember to blink!"

* * *

Lying motionless underwater in the tall weeds, chameleon spell active, Lilia's thoughts turned once more to her new life. Vicente had been right; she did need to plan things more thoroughly. His tales of what the sun could do if she turned while outside had frightened her terribly. She already had a fear of fire, and his words didn't help. Being told that she wouldn't turn unless she slept had helped, but his tales of the terrible thirst that would consume her if she didn't feed had set her nerves right back on edge. 

She'd been waiting on the bottom of the deep pond for almost an hour. Her new senses had helped her greatly in tracking the movements of Adamus Phillida. From snatches of conversation she'd overheard his bodyguard having, the old man apparently followed a very strict routine. Following his scent yesterday she had found that he breakfasted at an inn in town, visited with the coast guard until after lunch, had a swim in the afternoon, dinner at a different inn, before heading into the guard barracks to sleep. Passing the night she'd wandered the streets of Leyawiin, enjoying the feel of the damp warm air on her skin. The scent from the nearby swamps wasn't pleasant, but she'd stopped to smell some of the exotic flowers that perfumed the air. Her senses found that everything seemed somehow…more.

The Imperial expansion into the province of Elsweyr hadn't been kind. The city was now ruled by the Caro family, and judging from rumours and overheard whispers Lilia realized that they certainly didn't care for the beast races, as Argonians, Khajiit, and Orcs were often referred to. The presence of so many Khajiit and Argonian beggars, as well as the slums that their kinfolk inhabited, were silent testament to that fact. The majority of the fine coloured plaster houses were now inhabited by Imperials and Elves. It astonished Lilia to see just how much had changed in twenty years. Leyawiin had once been home to some of the more noble Khajiiti families, including relatives of the Mane. It seemed pointless to her, this expansion of territory. The Emperor already had dominion over the whole of Tamriel; why had he bothered extending the borders of Cyrodiil, at the cost of so much goodwill and so many lives?

Turning her head she watched as the purple outline of feet descended into the muddy pond. So Adamus really was a stickler for schedules. She watched as the old Imperial, still well-muscled, but with a soft layer of fat now covering his wrinkled body, swam across the water. From her observations yesterday he seemed to follow a routine even in his swimming. Back and forth down the middle a few times, a few laps clockwise around the pond, followed by a few circles counterclockwise, before he dove down to the bottom. Watching him Lilia had thought that maybe he'd drown and she wouldn't have to do anything before his white hair finally popped back up above the water's surface, dashing her hopes. Thinking about it, she realized that he must have been breath training. That had given her the idea for his method of execution.

Watching as Adamus started to swim in clockwise circles Lilia tensed. She was about to find out whether her guess had been correct or not. If not then she would probably have to wait another day to try again, and she was worried about falling asleep. She didn't feel tired the way she used to; her flesh was already dead, so it didn't need to rest. But there was a cozy feeling inside that beckoned her to rest her eyes, just for a little while. Vicente had mentioned that if she went without feeding and sleeping she would find that the urge to sleep went away, but the urge to feed would take its place. That urge was apparently much more demanding.

Adamus had now stopped swimming and was treading water directly over her position. If her heart still beat she knew it would be racing at this point; instead, she merely found her muscles wired with tension. He dove down into the water and swam right towards the weeds that surrounded her. She waited as he took hold of a particularly thick one and held on, his feet kicking idly every now and again to keep him from floating back up to the surface. Shooting her hand out with a speed she'd never have been capable of before, she grabbed hold of the waistline of his shorts and tugged him in towards the weeds. Twisting to the side she started wrapping a thick weed around his flailing right wrist. In the process Adamus managed to connect his right elbow into her jaw. Sparks briefly shot across her vision. She'd have to be more careful; old as he was, he had a lifetime's worth of combat experience.

Sliding her hands down Lilia grabbed hold of his thick right calf. Keeping her head well back she again wrapped long green weeds around his knee. She noticed that his struggles were now focused on freeing his limbs rather than injuring her. She couldn't let him escape. Slipping under him she grabbed a hold of Phillida's left arm, which was desperately trying to unwrap the right. Holding on as best she could she coiled the underwater plants around his elbow. Phillida was now bucking wildly, trying to yank the weeds themselves out of the muddy ground.

Standing beside him she pushed Adamus closer to the ground, further into the weeds. If anything she hoped that his violent struggles would help entangle him even further. Minutes passed by, his movements growing feebler all the while. Finally he was motionless, and Lilia could see that no glow came from his body. He was dead.

Taking a look at his right hand Lilia found the signet ring that Ocheeva had mentioned. If she wanted to receive a bonus she was to cut his finger off and place both it and the ring into the desk of the new Imperial Legion Commander, Giovanni Civello, as a message from the Dark Brotherhood. Letting the right hand float in the water she carefully swam over to the far corner of the pond, where a large rock jutted out overhead. Curling herself up underneath it, she massaged her jaw as she made sure that her chameleon spell held. If she'd planned on receiving the bonus she wouldn't have made Adamus' death look accidental. A severed finger that transports itself into the Imperial prison district would seriously blow that cover story to shreds. No amount of magical trinkets could convince Lilia to return to the prison district again and dodge around corrupt Legion officials.

The bodyguard's cries for help sounded muffled as they passed through the water in her ears. She would wait until nightfall before returning home, until then, she'd practice blinking.


	20. Chapter 20:  For Your Eyes Only

Lilia made her way through the empty main hall towards her room. After feeding on Aldos she found that the alluring whisper of sleep had now become a strong siren call. She suspected it had to do with being closer to a human state; the better fed she was, the more she would feel the need to do mortal things, like sleep. Her thirst had been a constant presence by that point, and she'd only gone two days without feeding. The thought of how bad it could get really frightened her.

Vicente opened the door to their room for her; he had been waiting for her return. He pulled her into a big kiss.

"You did it! Ocheeva has been waiting anxiously for you, it took forever for me to convince her to go to bed." He looked her up and down. "You've fed already. Very good. I suspect you're feeling the need to sleep rather strongly right now, hmm?"

"Yes. It's as if the bed is calling to me. I've never felt like this before." Lilia moved towards her bed, peeling off her clothes as she went.

"Then I'll let you sleep. I did promise to give this to you when you came in, but I think it can wait until morning. Good night."

"Wait, what do you have there?" She paused as she pulled back the sheets, turning to look at him, curiosity plainly written on her face.

"It seems you have a sealed letter. From Lucien." Moving forward she rapidly snatched the letter off the table. Looking at it, she saw that the imprint of a hand was embossed in the red sealing wax. She quickly tore it open and read the contents of the letter. Then she read it again.

Reading the letter for a third time Lilia still didn't know what to make of it. Lucien had invited her to visit him at his home of Fort Farragut; he apparently had a special assignment for her. She still wasn't convinced that he wasn't trying to kill her; she certainly hadn't been able to ask Adamus if he'd been forewarned. Though his casual air as the retired Commander moved through the streets of Leyawiin made her suspect that Phillida hadn't been told a thing.

"It is a secret contract, isn't it? They're normally rather unusual, like the assassination of nobility, or multiple targets. I wouldn't mention it to Telaendril, if I were you." Vicente was watching her from across the table.

"So there is still a chance he's trying to get Telaendril to kill me? Let me guess, she's wanted a special contract for ages now." Bitterness was clear in her words.

"Yes, she has. I don't think that this will be enough to convince her to murder you yet. She's ambitious, but she's not insane." With a loud sigh Lilia put the letter in her bag. She held out her hand to Vicente.

"Come, I really should get some rest. But I think I'll need a little help getting to sleep."

* * *

Looking around, she surveyed the ruins of Fort Farragut. It was located a short walk northeast of Chorrol. The upper structure of the fort had collapsed years ago, large stone blocks littering the forest floor, most of them already covered by the ground creepers that seemed to thrive in this part of the province. Large trees, some of them giant, seemed to tower overhead. All that was left of the once mighty fort was a ring of stone that made up a low wall. That, and the massive wooden doors that led into the dungeon underground. The scent of stale air and undead wafted out through them.

Dressed in her newly repaired Dark Brotherhood leathers Lilia paused before grabbing the large brass ring mounted on the door. She held a heavy orcish mace in one hand, and a light elven shield was strapped to the other arm, both borrowed from the training room. Vicente had mentioned before that Fort Farragut was the source of the sanctuary's dark guardians. At least she knew how to deal with them, thanks to the vampire's impulsive sense of humour. With a small sigh she pulled the door open and stepped inside.

Making her way down the quiet corridor she was grateful for her little ebony ring. While she didn't particularly care for the blue light that the ring created in her vision it was preferable to trying to move around with a torch, or glowing with the magical effects of a light spell. This way she could retain the element of surprise. As she made her way further into the cold stone passages she noted that the occasional oil sconce burned brightly, lighting up a section of wall and floor. The firelight, combined with her vampire vision, and the ebony ring, made it very difficult for her to see. Rounding a corner to discover just such a sconce directly in her line of sight she didn't see the tripwire, but she did feel it as her foot broke through. Lilia jumped forward as fast as she could, but she wasn't fast enough.

A large metal spiked ball had swung from the ceiling and hit her solidly on the left side of her back. Releasing a loud cry of pain and surprise, she managed to come to a rolling stop. Standing, she found that nothing had been broken, but her back was in agony. From the smell Lilia could tell that the tips of the metal spikes had been poisoned, and the places where they'd pierced her leather felt like they were on fire. She knew she wasn't in danger of dying, but it really hurt. She tried casting a healing spell on herself. She felt her wounds close, but the pain remained. She tried a cure poison spell, but nothing changed. Now she was worried that she'd have to spend the rest of her unnatural life like this.

That worry was pushed from her mind as she felt her stomach knot. Judging from the shuffling footsteps and clattering of bone on bone, the dark guardians of the fort had heard her cries, and were coming to investigate. Choosing to abandon the stealth approach, Lilia moved forward, mace at the ready. Unlike some people, pain didn't cause an instinctual need to go looking for soothing and comfort. Instead, it made her very angry. She grinned wickedly as the first skeleton came into view.

* * *

Lucien had almost dropped his book when he'd heard the cry echo through the fort. Putting it down, he listened to the sound of Lilia making her way through the winding passages to his private quarters. He was entertained by the interesting curses that she'd unleash before he'd hear the solid sound of a thunk, and then the noise of bones clattering against stone. Occasionally he would hear only the sound of bone on stone, and this puzzled him. After about fifteen minutes of this auditory spectacle he finally saw the woman herself come into view at the end of the hall.

Lilia was holding a bundle of bones in one arm, and shaking a strange orcish mace with the other. He could see the outline of an elven shield strapped to her arm. Moving his head to get a better view through the bars of the gate he realized that a skull was stuck to the mace, and she was trying to shake it off while muttering various Argonian curses at it. She stopped walking and started banging the mace against the stone walls, cursing loudly until the skull finally split in two. Looking forward she finally saw Lucien standing behind the gate. Lilia gave him a quick wave with her mace hand, and then stuck the weapon through a loop on her belt. Taking a long bone from the bundle she was holding she threw it to the ground in front of her. He watched in amusement as she proceeded to toss bone after bone along the floors and walls of the hallway. Dropping the rest of the bones she made her way to the lever that controlled the gate. Ducking down into a ball she pulled it, covering her head with her hands and shield. After the gate finally finished its clattering rise into the ceiling she seemed satisfied that no other traps awaited her, and made her way into his living quarters.

All the while Lucien had been trying to stifle his laughter. That was the most absurd, and least stealthy, entrance he had ever seen.

"Ah, Lilia, good to see you again. I trust my guardians didn't trouble you too much." He took a good look at her. Dressed in the standard Dark Brotherhood armour, devoid of make-up, she didn't look anything like he remembered. In fact, she looked rather plain.

"No, they were actually most helpful. They set off half the traps themselves, and their remains helped set off the rest." She gestured towards the bones that now littered the hallway. "But I trust you didn't invite me here to meet Boo-Boo's relatives."

He let a small grin twitch at the corners of his mouth. His newest Assassin really was most unusual, even for a member of the Brotherhood. From the reports he'd received from Ocheeva he'd found out that she'd managed to make enemies of half the sanctuary, though not through any particular actions of her own. She only wished to kill those who had directly caused the murder of someone else, but then she made their deaths look accidental, or natural. She'd managed to pass all three of Vicente's tests, but she'd been hit by the very first trap in his own lair. He'd seen the way her armour was pierced when she'd turned to point down the hallway; only the spiked ball could have caused that kind of damage. Yet she'd broken into the Imperial prison, murdered Adamus Phillida, and managed to pass as a Redguard when she faked the death of Francois Motierre. She'd also chosen a vampire for a roommate.

"Of course not. Tell me, have you heard the rumours about a traitor in the Dark Brotherhood?" He was surprised when she said that she hadn't. Indicating for her to take a seat, he explained the situation.

There had been some murders, or disappearances, of Dark Brotherhood members. The only common link was that they had all been based in the Cheydinhal sanctuary. In order to save the Brotherhood from this treachery a purification had been ordered, the third one in history. The sanctuary was considered compromised, and the traitor assumed to be among them. So her next contract was to kill every other member of the sanctuary. Since she didn't join until after the killings began, she was free from any suspicions. But her fellow Brothers and Sisters were not. While not all of them could be the traitor, she could take comfort that the innocents' souls would join Sithis for eternity. In order to accomplish this task she was unbound from the five tenets, the rules that prevented her from killing her fellow family members.

While he spoke he took note of her reactions. She was obviously trying hard to remain calm. She was sitting motionless on a wooden chair, breathing normally, hands folded demurely in her lap. She'd been staring at his bookshelf as she'd listened. The only betrayal of her emotions was the occasional wiggle of her foot. Lilia had asked no questions, and he had nothing else to say. There was a lot for her to think about.

"You can exit through the trap door." He indicated a rope ladder that hung from the ceiling. "I will be here awaiting your return."

Standing, Lilia gave him a nod farewell. Watching her climb up the ladder, he spoke one last time.

"Good luck, Silencer." When he heard the metal trap door close, Lucien sat down. He still wasn't entirely sure he knew what she was going to do.


	21. Chapter 21:  Purified

As Lilia walked back to Chorrol she struggled to make sense of her feelings. She'd actually been ordered to kill every other assassin in the Sanctuary. She certainly couldn't try to attack them; one on one, she might stand a chance, but she could never hope to survive taking them all on, vampire attributes or not. Listing all of the sanctuary members in her mind she realized that she was actually going to do it. But what about Vicente? She couldn't kill him. Sighing loudly, she decided to worry about him later. Perhaps he'd kill her and then she wouldn't need to worry about dealing with Lucien ever again.

That man had been so calm as he'd discussed the death of the other assassins, people who looked up to him, trusted him, even loved him. He'd practically raised Teinaava and Ocheeva, and yet he didn't hesitate to name them as part of the contract. His calmness, combined with the cold that chilled her already cool blood, had made her skin crawl.

Going invisible she made her way into Cheydinhal via the stream entrance. The cool water helped soothe her back, which still felt as if it was on fire from the poison. She'd have to ask Vicente how to fix it. Gods, what was she going to do about Vicente?

She grimaced to herself as she pulled the well cover aside. The muscles hurt to use. Gingerly she pulled it back into place above her and made her way down the ladder. She maintained her invisibility spell until she reached her room. Letting the spell fade she opened the door and stepped inside. She faked a large smile as she greeted the other vampire. At least he couldn't read her emotions anymore. Perhaps this is why she'd been turned into a vampire, she mused.

Vicente gave her a hug and then turned her around, having felt the holes in her armour.

"Lilia, I think you may just have to give up on clothes. The concept obviously doesn't work for you." He teased her gently. "These tears will take some time to repair; what happened?"

"I ran into a spiked ball tipped with poison. Vicente, right now there are several spots where my back is in agony. Please tell me that there is a way to cure this." She was relieved to see him smile.

"Yes, a very simple spell. I really should have taught it to you before. It's a cure poison spell, but instead of curing the blood stream, as a normal spell does, this one cures a specific area. Here, let me show you how." He brought his right hand towards the wounds.

"Wait." She quickly pulled off her gloves. Closing her eyes, she grabbed hold of his left hand. "Continue."

"Very well." Bringing his right hand to the first hole he let the healing magic flow. While doing so, he felt as if he had to cast the spell through something, or someone. He eyed Lilia curiously.

"Now let me try." She closed her eyes and inhaled deeply. As she exhaled, he saw a swirl of blue magic float across her back. "All better." She had a huge grin of relief on her face.

"Now where did you learn how to do that?"

"Oh, here and there. Mysticism is my favourite form of magic, and I was taught how to learn spells by feeling other mages cast, instead of trying to have them explain it. All I need to do is have body contact and put my mind into the right state. Simple spells are of course easier to learn than complex ones." Moving to her dresser, she began to rummage through her clothes. Vicente had purchased her a few things, which was a boon to her, because her original wardrobe had been ruined one way or another. Except for her black dress, but she never wanted to wear that again. Maybe he was right, perhaps she should just forget about wearing clothes. She almost giggled to herself. The distracting thought of 'Lilia, the naked assassin' was too amusing a mental image. She finally settled on a dark blue silk robe, similar to the style favoured by mages. The soft touch of silk felt good against her skin; she had found that her leather seemed to stick, tugging and pulling her as she moved.

"Vicente, please don't bother with the armour. I probably won't need it again for a while. When's dinner?" She tried to sound casual, but was growing increasingly nervous about the task at hand.

"In about an hour. I believe Teinaava is making roast swampfish. But you don't need to eat, you know that."

"Of course I know that. But it doesn't mean that I shouldn't keep up appearances. Would you be a dear and return the borrowed equipment to the training room? I forgot to do it on my way in." Lilia fixed him with another fake smile. She was trying to keep her hands from shaking. She needed to be alone in the room.

"Of course. Maybe you should have a nap, you seem a bit tired." His gaze was intent.

"Yes, thanks, that might be a good idea. Come wake me for dinner, will you?" Another fake smile.

"With pleasure." Picking up the mace and shield he gave her a big kiss before exiting.

Waiting to make sure Vicente was out of range of sound she quickly ran over to the locked chest beside his desk. In her nervousness her open lock spell was so intense it almost shattered the lock. Telling herself to calm down she rooted through the various vials of poison, occasionally opening one and sniffing the contents, before she found what she was looking for. Pushing the lid back down she had to wiggle it back and forth several times before it finally clicked shut. Reflexively taking a deep breath to calm herself, she made her way to the living quarters.

Teinaava was in the far corner in the kitchen area, tending to dinner. M'raaj-Dar was sitting at the table along with Telaendril. Lilia's resolve weakened. If they caught her, she'd be dead. Forcing a big smile onto her face, she walked up to the Argonian.

"Ah, Lilia. You smell different." He sniffed at her.

"New perfume. Can I give you a hand with anything?" She tried to keep her voice light. She wasn't sure if Teinaava was eyeing her suspiciously, or if it was her imagination.

"So you're an expert chef too? No wonder Lucien is so impressed with you, blessed Sister." Telaendril's tone was nasty as she spoke.

"Telaendril, that's enough." Teinaava spoke quickly to the Bosmer. His expression softening he turned back to Lilia. "Of course you can help. Here, stir the sauce."

During the course of the meal preparations Lilia poisoned the roast fish, the sauce, the wine, the ale, and the fruit for good measure. Dinner ready, she quickly ran to fetch the other assassins, imploring Teinaava not to serve until everyone was there. Lilia told him that she felt bad about being away from the sanctuary so often, so she'd like to eat with them all. He seemed to believe her.

On her way back from Ocheeva's room, after having summoned Gogron and Antoinetta from the training room, she bumped into Vicente.

"I thought you were going to nap." He was studying her.

"I considered it, but then I decided to help Teinaava." Lilia glanced around and lowered her voice into a conspiratorial whisper. "I know that three of the family already dislike me. I don't want to alienate the other three, so I'm going to try and spend more time with them. Go read in our room, I'll be down after dinner." She gave a quick prayer that the vampire would leave.

"You know, that's not a bad idea. I think I'll join everyone for dinner." With that he offered her his arm.

"No, you don't need to do that. Go, read, and I'll join you after dinner is finished." She faked a smile, then a wink.

He eyed her curiously. "Really, I insist. Come."

Unable to think of any way to get rid of him without arousing his suspicions, she forced herself to accept. During the walk down the hallway to the living quarters she had to keep her knees from giving way. Lilia had never been so nervous in her life. This was far worse than preparing for her first meeting with Lucien.

"Lilia! Come, I've saved you a seat." Gogron patted the bench between himself and Teinaava. Seeing the vampire, he spoke again. "Vicente, grab a chair."

Making her way over Lilia managed to seat herself at the table without falling over. Time seemed to slow down. She faked a grin, smiling politely at everyone. She noted that Vicente was seated at the far end, a glass set in front of him.

"Since we're all here, let's have a toast. Antionetta, would you mind pouring the wine?" Vicente waved at the glass decanter as he spoke. Waiting for everyone to be served, he raised his glass. "To family!"

"To family!" The group of assassins raised their glasses and drank. Lilia pretended to sip at her wine, chastising herself all the while not to let her hand shake. There was no turning back now. The wait was torture. The assassins were chatting happily, eating the fish, and drinking the wine. She managed to mumble polite answers to everyone around her, and picked at the bread. After a while she started to think that her plan had failed. Was the poison too old? Too fresh?

Suddenly Antionetta clutched at her throat. Everyone stared at her in alarm. Before anyone could move to help her the poison took hold in their bodies, causing their throats to swell shut as well. Lilia clutched her own throat and tried to look panicked. It wasn't hard, considering that she already was. Looking around wildly she saw that Antionetta was the first to die. After that it was M'raaj-Dar, Telaendril, and then Gogron. Lilia had to push the dead weight of the Orc off her; he'd fallen onto her left side. The Argonians were still struggling against the poison that was now shutting down their nervous systems bit by bit. She'd expected that; Argonians were known for their natural resistance to most poisons, but they weren't immune. Glancing down the table she noted with alarm that Vicente was also holding his throat.

Dropping her hand in surprise she saw him do the same. He'd also been pretending! The expression on his face was unreadable. Opening her mouth to explain the only thing that came out was a small trickle of blood, as Teinaava's dagger pierced her right side. She felt so cold, and the world went black.


	22. Chapter 22: Ashes to Ashes

She was floating through the night sky. The stars seemed so close and their cold light hurt her eyes. As she felt herself begin to fall she begged Stendarr for mercy.

* * *

Eyes snapping open, Lilia looked around. She was in her bed and the room was very dark. She could see Vicente seated at the table, a solitary candle casting a faint glow of light to disperse the shadows. Something was wrong. Her nose could scent blood and death and the sanctuary was still. She was very scared and she didn't know why. 

Suddenly the memories flooded into her mind, scraping and jostling away all other thoughts. Lilia had murdered the other assassins, poisoned them as they ate dinner. Her hand flying down to her right side, she couldn't find a hole in the fabric, and her wound felt healed. Looking down she realized that she was now dressed in different clothes.

Not wanting to, she raised her eyes to the vampire in front of her. His expression was inscrutable; his dark green eyes seemed black in the weak light. Lilia opened her mouth to speak, unsure of what she was going to say, but knowing that she had to say something. With a gesture of his hand Vicente cut her off.

"I'm no fool, Lilia. You've been ordered to perform a purification on the sanctuary." She realized her mouth was hanging open in surprise, and quickly shut it.

"How do I know? You receive a special contract from Lucien and suddenly you're interested in socializing with the other assassins? While you may have been able to deceive them, I'm afraid you failed to take my senses into account. Did you not realize that I would smell the lingering scent of poison on the air when I returned to our quarters?" His voice was cold as he spoke.

"So what's the plan? You save my life so you can kill me yourself? If you knew about the poison, why didn't you warn them?" Lilia was desperately confused, frustrated, and frightened.

She saw the vampire's chest fall in a large sigh. "I'm not going to kill you, and I don't think you were planning on killing me, were you? You certainly tried to keep me away from you. So, let's both relax a little, and have a chat. I think we have a lot to discuss."

Her words tumbled out in a rush of relief. "Yes, I've been ordered to purify the sanctuary. But I've been unbound from the five tenets, Vicente, I don't need to..." He cut her off.

"Quiet. We won't discuss that yet. As for your other question, you're right, I didn't warn them. But Lilia, think about it. If I did reveal that you were trying to kill them you'd be dead, and the purification would still need to be completed. But the next time the combined might of the Black Hand would be called in to do so. One way or another they were going to die. Neither you nor I could have saved them."

"You knew, and you called for a toast of poisoned wine! Why?" He wasn't making sense.

"Because if I hadn't you'd probably be dead. Everyone would have ingested the poison at different times, and at least half of the table would have suspected you immediately. They'd have cut you down before you could run."

"You saved my life. You healed my wounds, didn't you?" A cold thought seized her mind. "And Teinaava, Ocheeva, are they still alive?"

"No. They died shortly after you passed out. A few inches higher and no amount of restoration magic would have saved you; as it was, Teinaava managed to puncture one of your lungs, among the other injuries his dagger caused." The thought of how close she came to dying horrified her.

"Lilia, tell me something, and I need to know the truth. You're a devotee of Stendarr, aren't you?" She could almost feel his intense gaze as something tangible, pressing into her flesh.

"Yes." She spat out the word. So much work wasted; she'd tried so hard to pretend to be a dark child of Sithis. If he knew, who else did?

As if he read her mind he answered her unspoken question. "You called out to him before you awoke. You're not the only one who tries to walk with the Nine." She didn't bother hiding the surprise on her face.

"But you called me a child of the Night Mother! You implored me to blink in the name of Sithis! You can't be, I mean, how could you be..." Lilia let her question trail away.

"I pretended, just as you did. Please don't act so shocked; you're not the only one who knows how to lie." She saw him smile slightly. "I'm not going to ask how you came to be here. I already know the answer."

"Vicente, no, don't say it! Please, I beg you." Leaping out of bed she ran towards the vampire, her trembling hands reaching forward to cover his mouth. Standing to meet her he easily spun her around, pinning her arms to her side. She felt so weak. His mouth was inches from her ear.

"Why not? Lilia, you were sent to me by the Gods. They're finally answering my prayers." Relief coursed through her, and she didn't bother to fight the weakness in her knees as they buckled out from under her. His words made no sense, but she didn't care.

Lifting her easily Vicente carried her back to her bed, lowering her gently onto the mattress. He went and got a chair from the table and sat in it next to her bed.

"You lost quite a bit of blood, which is a dangerous thing for a vampire. In fact, I'm a little surprised that you didn't turn." His words held a note of concern.

"I don't understand. Vicente, nothing makes sense anymore." He grabbed her near hand and pressed it briefly to his lips.

"Lilia, do you know what it is like to be lonely? Truly lonely, as if you were on the outside of the world, looking in?" Lilia nodded slowly.

"I have an idea, yes. Since my family died I've been wandering the land of Tamriel, studying anything and everything I could, just to keep myself busy. Sometimes, I'd feel as if I were a ghost, with everyone living their lives around me. Growing up we never spent much time in any one town, and for me, there is no place I can call home." Memories crowded in around her; standing alone in the middle of a town fair, everyone dancing and singing, friends and families grouped into clusters, and her in the middle trying desperately to pretend to be a part of it with no success. But she'd known when she'd chosen her path that it would be lonely.

She could see the vampire looking at her curiously. "I think that's the most you've ever told me about yourself. I am sorry to hear that you understand, but it gives me hope that you'll consider my request." He paused, obviously searching for words. "I became a vampire when I was twenty-seven, still a young man. I didn't learn about a cure until it was too late, almost a hundred years after I was infected."

Lilia waited as he thought about what to say next. She understood; there was a cure, a potion that would restore mortality to those who walked Nirn as a vampire. But it couldn't turn back time; once taken it would change the vampire back into a man or mer of the same advanced age. For those who had already outlived their natural years it was tantamount to suicide to drink such a thing.

"I've spent the last two hundred years living in the darkness, relying on the companionship of murderers and books to keep me sane. Every day I've prayed to the Nine for a way to make it stop. Do you truly understand immortality, Lilia? It means that you cannot die. There is no peaceful sleep of death waiting for me, no natural end. Ah, yes, I can die; fire, the sun, certain injuries, all of those things can kill me. But they haven't done so yet. I'm tired, Lilia."

"Vicente, don't talk like that. I'm not bound by the tenets anymore; I don't need to kill you." He tried to wave off her words. "We can use ashes to fake your death. You can leave this place."

"And where would I go? Would you have me live in hiding, would you condemn me to my former life? We both know you wouldn't come with me. You do not love me, Lilia." His last words were spoken as a statement.

He was right. While she found him attractive, and enjoyed his company, she'd never thought of their relationship as being anything other than an affair, something that they could both enjoy while it lasted.

"Vicente, stop it. You're talking nonsense." She sat up, swiveling her legs off the bed, and clasped his hands in hers. "You're so vibrant, so full of life..." Vicente pushed her hands away and leapt out of the chair. He began pacing as he spoke, his words full of frustration.

"You don't understand. I've only been that way since you've entered my life. Lilia, you made me feel alive again. You've reminded me of just what I've been missing for all of these years. I thank you for it, but it's made me all the more frustrated that I can't truly live a mortal life. Only in Aetherius will I know such bliss."

"I'll not listen to any more of this. You're crazy!" She stood and grabbed her pack from the floor. Hoisting it up she noticed that it felt full, and that Vicente had strapped his enchanted daedric shortsword to the back. She realized then that he was serious. "I'm leaving. I'll tell Lucien that everyone is dead, and if you're found, I'll say that you'd faked your death. Try not to get caught." Tugging on the heavy pack she started walking towards the doors. Vicente quickly stepped in front of her, grabbing her left wrist, and forcing her right hand around a cold metal grip. The twinkle of reflected light indicated that it was her silver dagger. Lilia felt the chill of a silence spell settle over her.

"Lilia, please, I can't do this without you. I can't commit suicide and damn my soul. The Nine have sent you to me. You know it to be true." Struggling, she couldn't pull away from him; the loss of blood had sapped her strength, and the other vampire had always been stronger than her.

"No! I won't do it! You can't make me!" She was yelling at the ceiling now. "There is no way this is part of your plan!"

"Lilia." Vicente's voice was so calm. Her arms were shaking now, the muscles exhausted as she tried to pull them away. The tip of the dagger caught on his shirt, and her struggles intensified.

"No!" She pulled back as hard as she could, every muscle straining in unison. She felt him pull her forward in response, and then suddenly she was hurtling towards the door. Turning, she saw ashen flakes, drifting like golden snow in the light of the candle, floating gently down to the cold stone floor.


	23. Chapter 23: Evil Comes in Many Forms

Lucien's voice was measured and controlled as he spoke of Silencers and the Black Hand. He was dressed in his black robe, hood pulled up, standing near one of the thick columns that supported the high ceiling. A small bed, a chest of drawers, an alchemy table, and a sparse bookcase were the only signs that this large, cold, room was inhabited by something other than the undead. The meager furnishings were supplemented with a few chairs, crates, and barrels scattered around the room. Solitary oil sconces, one set on each wall, provided inadequate light. A small skull lay on its side on one of the shelves and Lilia was staring into its empty eyes.

Blink. Don't kill him.

She barely listened as Lucien explained her new role as his private assassin, her Silencer to his Speaker. Instead she was busy repeating her mantra over and over again. The intense desire to hurt the man that stood before her, the man that was the source of her current misery, threatened to overwhelm her.

Thoughts kept rising into her mind, uninvited and unwelcome. Especially ones about the moment that Vicente died. The dagger had fallen from her hand and she'd screamed until she ran out of air and then kept screaming silently until the muscles in her diaphragm went into spasms. That seemed to have been the trigger for the tears.

Blink. Don't kill him.

She was damned now, her soul stained black with murder. Or was it? Her mind again probed the wound, inflaming the debate. Either way was equally abhorrent; either she had been the one that had yielded the dagger, ending the vampire's life, or he had caused his own death, damning himself for eternity. She was vaguely aware that Lucien was now speaking of dead drops; a complicated method of ordering her around without speaking to her using secret caches and letters.

Blink. Don't kill him.

The Speaker's motives had always been a mystery to her, but she now decided that he had planned this all along. Promoting her rapidly to annoy Telaendril, eyeing her at dinner to provoke Antionetta, saddling her with assignments that should have ended in her death; everything he'd done had been some sort of test to see if she was worthy. Worthy of what? What honour was it to work for a man who could so calmly order the death of his 'family'? He was speaking now about a horse, and she tried to force her attention back to him.

"…a token of my trust and love." How dare he profane such a word?! Lilia snapped her attention to him, lips curled in a sneer of anger, eyes contracted into narrow slits of rage. His head recoiled back slightly in surprise. Quickly she looked back at the skull.

Blink. Don't kill him.

She tried to think of nothing, absolute nothingness. Every part of her seemed to ache. Her muscles, especially those in her chest, were so sore. Her stomach was busy twisting itself in guilt and fear and the thoughts in her mind felt like needles stabbing into her sanity. And the need for blood sang to her, called to her, relentless and unyielding. Lucien seemed to have stopped speaking and was now waiting for her to leave his wretched home.

Not wasting a moment she turned away from him and started climbing up the rope ladder to the metal trapdoor set in the ceiling. Pushing it open she crawled out into the daylight, not bothering to look back. The corpse of a gigantic tree, hollowed out by decay, hid the small steel entrance from view.

Glancing around she again saw the glowing figure of a horse through the stone wall standing in front of the doors to the dungeon. With a horse she would make better time to Hero Hill, the location of her next orders, so she decided to go and see what sort of token Shadowmere really was.

The horse was slightly shorter than average but incredibly well muscled. A simple leather bridle and saddle were strapped against her ink black hide. Hearing Lilia approach the horse turned towards her, revealing her dark brown eyes, bloodshot and intelligent. Shadowmere reared up and charged right towards Lilia.

Lilia ran away from Fort Farragut dodging behind trees to keep the crazy beast away from her. Even at her best she could never hope to outrace such a fast animal so she dove into a clearing and cast an aura of flames around her body. As she'd hoped Shadowmere was frightened away by the fire, turning and making her way back towards the fort. Letting the spell die Lilia found herself standing in the midst of a clump of bushes, reflecting that her Speaker had given her a gift of a horse that wanted to kill her.

Blink. Don't kill him. At least, not yet.

* * *

The first rays of the sun were creeping out from behind the Jerall Mountains struggling valiantly to filter through the heavy clouds that blanketed the sky. The air was still and sticky. Wading through the shallow water Lilia cursed Lucien, the Aedra, the Daedra, the entire world of Nirn, and herself. If the map on the back of her contract had been correct than this was Leafrot Cave in front of her. A massive boulder lay at the far end of a shallow pond of stagnant water surrounded by tall pines and moss-covered rocks, a small hole leading further inside. She could smell something even more rotten than the earthy stink of decaying plant matter from the entrance ahead of her confirming that she was in the right place. 

Necromancers, liches, zombies; she loathed them all equally. Her target was Celedaen, a necromancer busy transforming into a lich, who had chosen this cave as his lair. It was so far east it was almost in Black Marsh. Celedaen must not have wanted visitors when he set up his home. Stepping into the low passage she tried to let her eyes adjust to the gloom. After the fiasco at Fort Farragut she'd decided never to wear that ebony ring again. She'd much rather fumble around in the dark than be so easily blinded by a small amount of light. The passage sloped down to the right, and she held onto the damp walls as her mud covered feet tried to find purchase on the slick stones below her. Almost at the bottom of the slope her right foot suddenly shot out from under her and she landed heavily on her backside. She wasn't hurt, but very shaken. As Lilia stood she reminded herself to be careful; she was exhausted and mistakes could be fatal.

Boards had been nailed up haphazardly to bar further passage into the cave; Lilia admired Celedaen's ingenuity in making them look as if they'd been there for years. Anything newer or better constructed would have only served to invite the curious inside. Looking ahead she could see three purple figures moving about. The necromancer must be the one further into the cave than the other two; his was the only form with a head. Judging from the shape and smell the other figures must be headless zombies. While they weren't as observant as headed zombies, or as intelligent as dread zombies, Lilia took no comfort from their presence. The absence of a head meant that in order to sunder the magic that animated their undead flesh they needed to be hacked into several pieces instead.

Pulling at a board she was pleased to find that the constant presence of moisture had caused it to rot and it came free in her hands without much difficulty or noise. She pulled a couple more off creating a space that was just large enough for her to squeeze through. A nail caught at her sleeve, tearing the fabric and scratching her flesh lightly. She didn't bother wasting magic to heal it; she was saving everything for Celedaen.

It took her almost half an hour to make her way through the two large caverns that the zombies patrolled. Celedaen had set up a rather comfortable home despite the location. The first chamber, or room, contained several full bookshelves, a well-stocked alchemy lab, and a small desk. Rugs on the floor and torches on the walls tried to create a cozy atmosphere, ruined by the presence of a putrid hulk of animated flesh. The second room housed a bed, chest of drawers, several more bookshelves, and had rugs, tapestries, and torches placed about. It too contained a zombie.

Headless zombies didn't have eyes to see and she wasn't giving them any other clues as to her location. Her heart didn't beat, she didn't breathe, and her body no longer smelt alive. So she'd been able to pass by them, pressed tightly against the wall, stepping ever so slowly and quietly around the perimeter of the rooms. The death of Celedaen should cause them, as his created creatures, to die as well. If not then she'd have to deal with them when she returned.

A locked wooden door prevented her from going further into the cave. Pulling out a lockpick she began testing the tumblers, listening for the telltale click when each was in place. Her increased hearing made this unenjoyable task somewhat easier but it still took her five minutes and three broken picks before the lock was no longer a problem. She cast her strongest spell absorption spell, reserving a small amount of magicka just in case. Waiting for the spell aura to fade she watched as Celedaen slowly paced back and forth. Lilia knew that as a necromancer transforms into a lich his physical body slowly deteriorates while his magical powers grow. If Celedaen was as far along the transformation as she'd been led to believe then his senses would probably be no better than that of the headless zombies that protected him, but his magical powers would be fearsome.

Having no other weapon she pulled out the enchanted daedric shortsword and held it in her right hand. Waiting until the necromancer had passed by and was slowly walking away from her she pulled the door open and slipped into the passage behind him. There seemed to be two smaller chambers, one on the left and one on the right, that were connected by the small corridor the door opened on to. Stepping forward cautiously she brought the shortsword up, intending to strike directly into Celedaen's heart.

So she was rather surprised when she found herself grabbing him from behind instead.

* * *

Lying on the necromancer's bed, casting yet another healing spell on her arm, Lilia felt a shiver run through her. She couldn't believe how reckless she'd acted, or how strong the need for blood had been. Sneaking up on Celedaen she'd been able to hear it, smell it, see it as it flowed through the necromancer's veins. Some instinct had taken over and she'd found herself biting deep into Celedaen's neck, the startled necromancer wasting no time in casting shock magic into her clutching arm. But his body had been so weak she'd manage to survive the encounter, whereas the necromancer had not. 

Still, her arm had been badly damaged during the struggle, her spell having been unable to absorb such a massive flow of magicka. An occasional spark was still flying off of her fingertips. At least it had stopped convulsing uncontrollably and a few more rounds of healing should restore it completely.

Afterwards, she would sleep. And then it would be time to go to Chorrol to retrieve her next set of orders.

* * *

Honmund stepped through the door into the crowded main hall of Olav's Tap and Tack. The inn was full as usual; Olav offered ale for a lower price than Hafid Hollow-leg, the other innkeeper in Bruma, and what he lost out on in profit margin he easily made up for in volume. Taking a seat at a small table Honmund caught Olav's eye and waved him over. After a week in the mountains with nothing to show for it but a large bag of mushrooms and a nugget of silver Honmund needed a drink. 

"Greetings Honmund. How's Alga?" Olav set down a large tankard of ale on the table. From his reddened nose Honmund could see that the barkeep had been sampling his wares again. Perhaps it was because the older Nord spent so much time around alcohol, but he had a remarkable tolerance for the stuff.

"Resting. I had to greet her properly after being gone for a week." Honmund gave an exaggerated wink, and Olav roared in laughter. "And how are things? Any news from the provinces?" Bruma was a quiet town, the cold winds and snow keeping most people indoors. The only topics of gossip the citizens had were tales of marital disputes, drunken bar fights, and speculation about the causes for Countess Narina Carvain's icy demeanor. The last topic was only discussed around closing time and well out of earshot of the guard.

"No, but there's been a tragedy closer to home. Do you remember old Perennia Draconis, the widow who lived out at Applewatch? She died in her sleep a few days ago." Olav shook his head sadly as he spoke.

Honmund knew who Olav was talking about. He'd seen the little old Breton, grey hair coiled up on her head, when she'd come into town occasionally for supplies. But she never socialized much in Bruma. "That's sad Olav, but not tragic. May Ysmir protect her soul." Raising his tankard in a toast Honmund downed a large gulp of ale.

"But that's not all. The tragedy is that all of her children also died within the last week. Her daughter Sybilla was living in a cave out near Cheydinhal, studying animals or something, and she was mauled by a bear. Caelia, her other daughter, caught Witless Pox while out on patrol. She worked for the guard in Leyawiin. They found her body two days later, covered in spots. Matthias was said to run with a bad lot and he was found beaten to death. Must have been a shady deal gone wrong. And her other son, Andreas, was an innkeeper like myself. Apparently he drank a bit too much one night and wandered off. They found him face down in a small pond drowned in two feet of water. Poor bastard." Olav was shaking his head as he spoke.

"Ysmir's beard! That is tragic. I've told you before Olav, nothing good happens when both moons are full." Honmund held the beliefs and superstitions of the old Nord religion. Bringing the tankard up again he was surprised to find it empty.

"Want another mug, Honmund?" Olav had noticed the dry tankard.

"Do ogres stink? Of course I do!"


	24. Chapter 24: Lies and Kisses

Walking through the foggy streets of Bravil on his way home Ungolim, Listener of the Dark Brotherhood, could feel his headache getting worse. Four members of the Black Hand had died in the last week.

J'Ghasta, stationed out in Bruma, had been murdered by the Renrijra Krin. None of the Brotherhood had known that the Khajiit was involved with the terrorist organization, but according to the city guard the telltale signs were all there, including the way the claws of his thumbs had been pulled out. Shaleez, the Argonian, had been found dead in her cave, or at least pieces of her were. From patches of fur found in the cave it looked as though trolls had torn her apart. Alval Uvani, fearsome destruction master, had run into a war party of goblins and been killed as he'd been traveling past Skingrad. And news had just reached Ungolim today of Havilstein Hoar-Blood, the fearsome Nord warrior, who had been discovered frozen to death on the top of Gnoll Mountain. Ungolim hadn't known that could even happen to the cold-resistant Nords.

Four seemingly unconnected deaths, but Ungolim and the remaining members of the Black Hand knew that they weren't coincidences. Long had suspicions of a traitor been in his mind, and the Bosmer was convinced that there was one person behind the deaths. He just didn't know who it was, or how to find them. Especially since the purification of the Cheydinhal sanctuary seemed to have failed.

Standing in front of his wooden townhouse, he pulled out his key. It was very late, almost two in the morning, and he needed to sleep. Perhaps a clearer head would help him make sense of it all. The warped door stuck as it always did when he pulled it open. He understood the reason that he had to live in Bruma, in this rotten wooden structure that threatened to topple over any day. Conspicuous displays of wealth were to be avoided in order to keep suspicions at bay. He had a large amount of gold saved, but couldn't spend it. At least Alval had come from a wealthy family, that lucky fetcher, and had been able to assume the role of a traveling merchant. Well, maybe Alval hadn't been that lucky after all.

He felt something touch his back and whirled around quickly, dagger in hand. He saw a woman, dressed in a pale yellow gown, standing in front of him, grey eyes wide with alarm. What he hadn't seen was the massive charm spell she'd sent into him.

Ungolim didn't care much for the females of men or mer. What he really fancied were Orcish women. Something about their green skin, their exposed teeth, and their incredible strength made him wild with desire. But for some strange reason he found the woman in front of him unusually attractive.

"Please, I'm sorry I startled you, but may I come in? I have something I need to tell you." She was staring at his elven blade.

Soft warning bells were going off in the back of his mind, but they couldn't break through the magical fog. Ungolim invited her in without hesitation. She was both unarmed and unarmoured, and he was incredibly lethal. The reassuring feel of his bow on his back helped him feel calm. His visitor quickly stepped past him and into the small sitting/kitchen/dining room. A rough brick fireplace, devoid of fire, was in the far wall, and an assortment of wooden chairs was set around a small low table. Closing and locking his front door behind him he moved into the room, sheathing his dagger as he waited for her to speak.

"I feel so embarrassed, but I can't wait any longer. I've been watching you for ages now." She stepped closer to him. "Much as I try, I can't keep away from you. I want you." Bending her head down to his she kissed him with her dark red lips, her right hand gently grazing his left ear, causing an intense wave of arousal to wash over him. Without thinking Ungolim responded, kissing her roughly as he pushed her back towards the table. Sitting on it her height was now closer to his own, and he let his hands wander over her body. The warning bells were louder now, but were drowned out by his sudden raging desire.

"No! I'm too…" The angry voice of Lucien Lachance, trailing off into a confused silence, broke the magical spell. Grabbing his bow and an arrow off his back Ungolim saw the woman, now as unattractive in his eyes as all other non-Orcs, scramble into the far corner, holding a chair up in front of her for protection. Notching his arrow he kept his bow trained on her, watching as she looked quickly from him to Lucien, who had now moved into the room beside him.

"Who is she?" Ungolim asked the Speaker. The woman's eyes widened in surprise.

"You know him?" She addressed her question to Lucien.

"Of course I know him, Lilia. He's the Listener." Lilia? This woman was Lucien's new Silencer?

"The Listener? Then why did you order me to kill him?" Hearing her question Ungolim turned his bow to Lucien, who had stepped quickly back into the opposite corner.

"I did no such thing. I came here to save him from you. Since you stopped answering your dead drops I've been trying to track you down. The deaths of the four Black Hand members had your signature all over them." Lucien was eyeing his Silencer coldly, his dagger pointed at her.

"What are you talking about? I've been trying to find you. You knew the terms of my joining the Dark Brotherhood, and I've been trying to contact you about these latest contracts. This one in particular." She nodded towards Ungolim, who had pointed the bow back in her direction. "I told you I wouldn't get involved with lover's quarrels."

Ungolim swung back towards Lucien. Something was not adding up.

"She's lying." Lucien had observed Ungolim's motion from the corner of his eye. He wasn't taking his eyes off of Lilia. "And how did you try to find me?"

"I've left you notes at all of my dead drops. I even tried finding you at Fort Farragut but you weren't there. What do you mean I stopped answering my dead drops?"

Ungolim needed to think. He interrupted the strange conversation.

"I'd lige ta agg um essduns." He realized with alarm that his lips were suddenly numb. Lilia pressed the chair tighter towards her body as she noted him draw his arrow further back, aiming it at her.

"There is an antidote, I have it right here. Please don't shoot me." Fear was clear in her voice. Ungolim nodded his head to indicate that she should give it to him. Moving very slowly Lilia put the chair down in front of her and reached into her cleavage, pulling out a tiny glass vial and a folded piece of parchment. The small objects floated across the room to land gently on the table in front of him. She'd pulled the chair up in front of herself again.

"You're a mage." The Speaker sounded a bit surprised.

"Of course I'm a mage. You already knew that." She answered.

"Just what did you poison him with?" Lucien's tone was demanding.

"Langourwine." Lilia was watching as Ungolim drank down the antidote. The tingling that had spread through his face stopped.

"Langourwine! You're supposed to stab people with it, not feed it to them!" Lucien obviously disapproved.

"But if I stabbed him then it wouldn't look very natural, now would it?" She snapped back.

"Quiet!" What Ungolim was hearing only confused him further. He needed to control the situation; he was the Listener, after all. "I'll ask the questions. Lilia, what is this?" He indicated the folded parchment on the table.

"Lucien's orders for your execution." Her right hand let go of the chair and wiggled; the parchment unfolded itself on the table. Looking at it Ungolim could see that it was covered in spidery writing. At first glance it looked the same as Lucien's hand, but his keen eyes noted certain letters that didn't match the Speaker's flowing style. Whoever had forged this had done a good imitation. If Lilia wasn't killing off the Black Hand for her own reasons, then someone had done a masterful job of using her against them.

"They're not my orders. I never wrote them." Lucien spoke quickly.

"I know you didn't. I can see that, but it's a good forgery." The Wood Elf looked to Lilia. "You don't have any idea who's been leaving these contracts for you?"

"No. I thought it was Lucien." Ungolim relaxed his bow a little. He believed her.

"She's lying! She's Morag Tong!" Lucien was angry.

"What?" Both Ungolim and Lilia asked in surprise.

"The first night I found you I saw that you were good. Too good, in fact. Nobody can move so silently without being a professional. Since I'm not the one ordering you to kill off the Black Hand you must be working on your own." Lucien turned to Ungolim. "Think about it. Who else would be skilled enough to murder Silencers and Speakers? Who else but the Morag Tong would have a reason to do so?"

"Lucien, you're insane. I'm not that good."

"Then how did you run through the bushes without making noise?"

"I cast a silence spell on myself." Her answer made no sense to Ungolim. How would being unable to cast spells make someone stealthier?

"Lucien, quiet." The other man was about to speak again. "Lilia, what are you talking about?" Tearing her eyes from Lucien she gave Ungolim a soft smile as she answered his question.

"Many years ago mages used to cast spells by speaking. There are some who still do so today. Naturally, other mages developed a spell to prevent sound from escaping their enemies' lips. After that some mages learnt how to cast without speaking, and a different spell was created that prevented their ability to tap into their own magicka. But both are referred to as silence spells. I use the first type, but for different purposes."

"And how did you avoid my detect life spell?" Lucien asked darkly.

Surprisingly, Lilia laughed at the question. "Lucien, your detect life spell has the worst range that I've ever seen. There was no trick to staying hidden."

"She's right. Do you remember that time in Shornhelm, in the Count's manor, when your spell couldn't spot the Orc guard at the end of the hall?" Ungolim asked. He personally remembered the incident well. The two had barely been able to escape, and they'd both missed out on a nice bonus.

"Yes."

"And that incident up in Riften, when you said you'd take watch?"

"Yes, Ungolim."

"And how can I forget what happened in Gideon…" Lucien cut him off.

"Yes, Listener, I remember. But my spell isn't that bad." He raised his hand and a drift of magicka floated down his body. "In fact, I can see a…" Lucien was pointing to the side of the house, but he was staring directly at Lilia. "Oh my. Lilia, was there something you forgot to mention?" His mouth was twisted in a cruel smile.

"Bite me Lucien." Lilia spat back at him. Ungolim wasn't sure what caused such sudden anger.

"Ah, but I'm afraid I cannot. You must miss your vampire friend terribly; killing him must have been so difficult. Tell me, his ashes, what…" Lucien's words were dripping with sarcasm. Ungolim noted that Lilia's hands were white; she was clutching the chair so hard.

"Shut up Lucien, or I swear, by the time I'm done with you you'll have to change your name to Lucy." She'd cut off the Speaker mid-sentence. Rarely had Ungolim heard such a tone of intense hatred.

"You filthy little whore! How dare you threaten me, your Speaker! I'm a…" Ungolim knew the situation was rapidly deteriorating.

"Shut up! Both of you! Lucien, I'm ordering you in Sithis' name not to say another word until I tell you to." He turned to face the Silencer, who was now smiling at him, looking like light and sweetness personified. Ungolim was startled by the sudden change. "Let's all sit down. Lilia, I have a lot to ask you."

"Of course, esteemed Listener. I apologize for disturbing the peace of your home." Another smile, and she sat on her chair in the corner, several feet away from the table. That wasn't what he'd meant, but it would have to do. Placing his bow and arrow on the table in front of him he sat down, watching as Lucien grabbed a chair and sat down in a huff, shooting murderous glances at his Silencer.

Without a doubt, those two had the most dysfunctional relationship Ungolim had ever seen.

* * *

The bells of the Great Chapel of Mara rang faintly through the angled wood walls, indicating that it was four in the morning. Ungolim had managed to convince Lilia to come a couple of feet closer to the table, but she still wouldn't stop eyeing Lucien with a combination of distrust and dislike, so Ungolim didn't press the issue. He could hear her fine from where she sat as it was. 

They'd briefly discussed Lilia's career, with the occasional snort from Lucien. The Listener had already questioned her about her first two dead drop contracts, the assignments that had been legitimate; the one for Celedaen and the one for the Draconis family, and now it was time to find out what she'd been up to for the last few days. He wished she had the contract for J'Ghasta with her, but she'd left it in her bag, along with the other ones. The bag was hidden under the bridge that led into Bravil, and nobody was going to leave the room until things were sorted out.

"Magic." She was explaining how she'd killed the highly skilled boxer. "Khajiits have no special resistance to paralysis, so I paralyzed him and then killed him in a way to make it look like the Renrijra Krin had done it."

"And your next dead drop was where?"

"Under an old bridge south of the Imperial City."

"And this contract was for Shaleez?" The Argonian was known for her mental instability, and her remarkable talent for killing. He couldn't figure out how this woman sitting in front of him could have killed her. "What happened in Flooded Mine? Did you lure a troll to her?"

"There was a troll in the very first part of the cave. They don't like fire very much, and I have a blade that is enchanted with it. Fighting it gave me the idea of how to kill Shaleez. Or at least, how to make her death appear to other people's eyes."

"But if a troll didn't tear her apart, how could you have done it?" Ungolim was aware of Lucien's sudden fake coughing fit. The Speaker seemed to desperately want to say something. With a sigh, Ungolim gave him permission to talk.

"A vampire would be able to do it. Isn't that right, Lilia?" Lucien had answered the Listener's question.

Ungolim realized with horror that Lilia was a vampire. A vampire who had kissed him! And he'd kissed her back! He felt slightly ill at the thought. He'd made out with the undead!

"You recruited another vampire into the Dark Brotherhood?" Ungolim knew Lucien didn't particularly care for them, and was surprised that he had done so.

"No. At least, she wasn't one when she joined. But I think I can explain how that happened." Once more Lucien was eyeing Lilia coldly, speaking directly to her.

"Shut up Lucien." Lilia was leaning forward in her chair, looking as if she'd tasted something rotten. With alarm Ungolim noticed that her hands were glowing.

"That's enough. Both of you. Lucien, don't make me silence you again. And Lilia, don't even think about tossing spells around in my home." For some reason the topic of vampires was definitely a bad one. "So after Shaleez, your next contract was where?"

"Fort Redman, down south by Leyawiin."

"And what magic did you use on Alval?" Lucien was asking questions now.

"None." Lilia kept looking at Ungolim as she spoke. "The contract mentioned Alval's strange reaction to honey, so I found some and carried it with me. I was following him as he traveled and noticed a goblin raiding party nearby. The goblins were more than willing to chase me, and I ran to Alval pretending to need help. When I got close to him I smeared the honey on him, rendering him immobile, and ran off." She made a small face of displeasure. "The goblins weren't kind."

"Very original Lilia. Wherever did you think of that plan?" Ungolim could hear the sarcasm in the Speaker's words. Lilia continued to ignore Lucien.

"The next contract was in the Imperial City Market district, of all places." She was frowning at something on the wall as she spoke.

"For Havilstein Hoar-Blood."

"Yes. He was the least complicated of them all. Except for his damned pet wolf. Ruined a pair of my pants." She seemed genuinely distressed at the loss of her clothes. Seeing the Listener's curious look she quickly continued. "He was asleep, probably drunk, and the weather was freezing. A strong cold spell took care of him quickly. Nords are resistant to cold, not immune."

"And the wolf?" Ungolim asked.

"Accidentally fell off a very high cliff. Tragic, really."

Ungolim was puzzled to see her smiling about it. He indicated the parchment in front of him, the one that ordered his own death. He'd already memorized the contents. It wasn't often you got to read your own assassination contract. "And this was…?"

"At Nornal, an Aylied ruin south of Cheydinhal, east of the Imperial City."

"There weren't any drops on the Gold coast." Lucien had been paying attention to the locations.

"Except for the next one, after my own death." Ungolim had noticed the same thing, but the next dead drop was in Anvil, right on the coast itself. There hadn't been anything near Kvatch, but there weren't any assassins based out of there. Count Goldwine didn't take kindly to Dark Brotherhood activities. "So, would you like to tell me how I was going to die?"

"As you wish." She graciously waved a hand at him. "As I mentioned earlier, I'd been having doubts about the contracts. Not their validity, but the reasons behind them. I made the mistake of trusting Lucien to watch out for me. It certainly won't happen again." She shot a cold glare at the Speaker. "Reading that you were to be killed as the result of a jealous husband who didn't like your unrequited love of his wife, I realized I had a decision to make. Either I disobey an order, and let you live as I hunted for Lucien, or I take a chance and kill you."

"So you decided to kill me." Ungolim wasn't very pleased to hear this.

"Well, not exactly. Since I'm a vampire I'm essentially immune to poison." At the mention of vampires Ungolim held up a hand of warning to Lucien, and motioned for Lilia to continue. "I had a small amount of langourwine with me. So I decided to poison you with it. If you weren't supposed to die by my hand I could administer the antidote, and if you were I could just let the langourwine finish the job." Ungolim knew that someone poisoned with langourwine who wasn't revived within a week would truly die. Even the effects of the poison couldn't prevent death by dehydration, though it did slow it down.

"And your unique delivery method?" Lucien was eyeing her carefully. She looked a little uncomfortable.

"Ah, yes, well, I can explain. If I did need to revive you, then it wouldn't look too good if you'd died of a sword wound and suddenly come back to life. That, and the guards would be looking for a murderer. But if I could make it look as if your death was natural, and perhaps as if the healers failed to recognize your disease and tried to inter you instead, you might be able to explain your sudden good health a little easier. But, as you know, langourwine has a very distinctive taste. It tastes like…"

"Lipstick." Ungolim knew his poisons.

"Yes. So I put the poison on my lips, and then charmed you heavily, and you know the rest." Her words seemed to be much faster now. "So now what do we do? As much as I appreciate your generous hospitality, the company is starting to lose its charm." She glared again at Lucien.

Ungolim's headache returned. It was a good question. Neither had truly been able to prove their innocence. While the contract looked like a forgery, Lucien was cunning enough to plant evidence that cleared himself. The fact that whoever wrote the contracts had intimate knowledge of the Black Hand was a strike against him. As for Lilia, she was obviously bright. If she'd been able to find out about the Black Hand, through some sort of treachery, then he wouldn't put it past her to fake a contract that incriminated Lucien. One more possibility was that they were working together, Lucien creating the contracts, and Lilia completing them, but he quickly ruled that out. Nobody could fake such intense animosity as those two obviously had for each other. Of course, the traitor was most likely some other member of the Black Hand. Any of them would have been skilled enough to follow Lucien and replace that first contract. After that Lilia would have been theirs to command.

If it was the Speaker, or his Silencer, who was the traitor then Ungolim certainly couldn't let them go free. And he definitely couldn't order them to wait alone together in his house as he investigated. It may not be much of a house, but at least it was still standing. So there was only really one option that presented itself to him.

"We're going for a long walk. To Anvil. Yes, all of us."


	25. Chapter 25: Day Trip

The day promised to be pleasant; too bad his companions weren't. The sun had already risen in the east and was bathing the woods in a golden light. Stippled wisps of white clouds floated through the blue sky. The air was warm, but a gentle breeze caressed Ungolim's face, cooling him as he made his way west. They were already on the Gold road, getting closer to Skingrad. They were making good time.

Up ahead he watched Lilia walk, dressed now in a plain grey robe and hood. He and Lucien were following behind, invisible. She'd been chosen to take lead; if the traitor was watching her then the sight of Lucien or Ungolim would reveal that the plot had been discovered. If there was anything to be found it would be easier this way.

At least he finally understood why vampirism was such a touchy subject between the other two assassins. Lucien had been whispering to Ungolim whenever he judged Lilia to be out of earshot about what he knew, or guessed. Apparently she'd taken Vicente for a lover, somehow contracted the disease from him and turned into a vampire, and had then killed her lover and creator within a day of receiving the orders to purify the Cheydinhal sanctuary, stealing his sword in the process. And she'd neglected to mention her vampirism to Lucien on at least two occasions.

Ungolim still hadn't been able to shake the disturbing memories of kissing her. His skin broke out in goosebumps at the thought. While he respected her unconventional talents as an assassin, she creeped him out a little. It was so strange to think of her, walking up ahead in the sunlight, looking just like anyone else, as not really being alive. He'd never been fond of vampires.

"So what are you going to order her to do?" Lucien's whispered voice interrupted his thoughts. They'd been discussing the plan for when they reached Anvil.

"I can't order her to do anything, you know that. You're the one that unbound her from the five tenets." With that act she'd been freed from her obligations not to kill other members of the Dark Brotherhood, or obey the orders of her superiors, which is why she'd been able to assassinate Alval, Shaleez, Havilstein, and J'Ghasta without encountering the Wrath of Sithis.

"You're the one that told me to do it." Lucien was right. As Listener, it had been Ungolim's decision to purify the Cheydinhal sanctuary. All of the evidence had seemed to place the traitor there.

Lilia stopped walking and turned to look back at the other two assassins. It was unnerving, her ability to know exactly where they were. Apparently the vampire had a constant detect life spell active. It certainly seemed to have a far greater range than Lucien's spell. Both he and Lucien stopped speaking. Lucien had warned him that she had enhanced senses, including an ability to hear far better than the Bosmer's keen ears.

The unusual vampire assassin began walking again, her pace quick. Once more Ungolim wished he knew if it was even possible to re-bind someone to the tenets.

* * *

Endless plains of waving golden grass stretched out before them. The high walls of Anvil were within view. Lilia was now walking back towards the other two assassins.

"So what's the plan?" Her lips barely moved as she spoke. She was facing the Abacean Sea, hands by her side, looking like a sightseer enjoying the view. If they were being followed then she needed to act natural.

"Why are you asking now? We still have another half hour to walk." Lucien answered.

"Because you're both invisible, and I will not stand outside the city gates having a conversation with what appears to be thin air. Now if you gentlemen haven't come up with a plan, I do have a simple one of my own." She'd assumed a yawning pose, one hand stretched high above her head, the other covering her mouth as she spoke. "I'll go into town, find the barrel, and get the contract and money."

"Alone? I don't think so. You could be carrying the contract on yourself right now. No, I'll be the one to open the barrel." Lucien had tried to convince Ungolim to search Lilia's bag and person when they'd left Bravil. She'd let Ungolim look quickly through her bag, which had contained an unusual amount of torn, stained, or otherwise ruined clothing, but no other contracts had been found. Lucien's further suggestion that they search her body was quickly voted down by both Lilia and himself. He certainly didn't want to touch her again, and she'd actually cast a spell that covered her body with magical flames and had then dared Lucien to try. Ungolim still wasn't sure which one of the two he would bet on if they somehow were to fight. Lucien certainly had the skill and experience, but Lilia seemed crazy enough to perhaps win. Regardless, he was sure it would be brutal.

"But you're not supposed to be seen. If I am watched in Anvil then the traitor will recognize you, or else they might notice the floating barrel lid." She again spoke through clenched teeth, as she bent over to examine her shoe.

"We'll come with you. You can open the barrel, but we'll be standing right beside you, watching." Ungolim spoke, anxious to continue. He'd sent out orders yesterday evening, before his unexpected guests had arrived, for the Black Hand to meet at his house tonight. He'd been planning a visit to consult with the Night Mother, and he didn't know what the others would think if he appeared to be missing. "Hurry up."

Without speaking she turned and started walking briskly towards Anvil, trailed by the two invisible assassins.

* * *

"But she's a mage! It doesn't matter if she strips naked, she'll still be able to cast spells!" Lilia was standing in front of an old barrel, both sleeves rolled way back, hands on her hips, expression of annoyance on her face as she listened to Lucien arguing with Ungolim.

"Will you keep your voice down? Besides, mages can't teleport items, only people." They were tucked away near a corner of the high wall, hidden behind a large statue. She was facing the wall, with her back to the seaside town, so she didn't bother covering her mouth as she spoke.

"You certainly moved the contract and antidote around with magic back in Bravil."

"That was a telekinesis spell, not a teleportation spell, you fool." Her tone wasn't kind when she replied to Lucien.

"Stop it, both of you." Ungolim was getting sick of their constant disagreements. "Let's open the barrel together. Everyone, put your hand on the handle." He felt Lucien's invisible hand bump against his own. Lilia waited until they'd both grabbed hold before placing her cool hand on top of his, taking obvious care not to touch Lucien's. Not wanting to prolong contact any further than necessary, Ungolim lifted the lid off the barrel, to find absolutely nothing inside.

"I told you! She's the traitor. She couldn't plant her false evidence with us around!" Lucien's voice was triumphant.

"The same could be said about you." Lilia was staring down into the empty barrel as she spoke. Suddenly she pushed the lid back down and slid into the corner. "Shh, someone's coming." Ungolim watched as she blended into the wall, chameleon spell active.

A very young blonde Wood Elf was approaching nervously. Glancing around, obviously unaware of the three dangerous invisible people in front of him, he lifted the lid off the barrel. He put in a sealed piece of parchment and then hesitated, weighing a heavy looking coin purse in his hand. Ungolim certainly didn't recognize him; he was no assassin of theirs, Lilia had been the only one he hadn't yet seen. The young Bosmer let out a small cry and dropped the purse when Lilia suddenly appeared beside him, her hand clutching his wrist.

Ungolim was impressed, and a little unnerved, with the way she manipulated Enilroth. Not only did she manage to find out who had approached the Wood Elf early that morning, but she'd also managed to convince him that she was an investigator looking into a private matter involving the court of Leyawiin, and that Enilroth had been unwittingly helping out a blackmailer. Enilroth had actually thanked her for saving him from a bad situation, and had sworn to the Nine Gods that not only would he never tell anyone about this, but that he'd never get involved with anything questionable ever again. As Ungolim watched the small mer flee, he mused that perhaps the Silencer had something in common with her Speaker after all.

After waiting for Enilroth to go indoors Lilia turned around again to the invisible Black Hand members. "To the lighthouse next, is it?" She didn't wait for a reply before quickly heading off towards the dock gate.

Ungolim was feeling a bit tired by this point, and he was a little out of breath by the time they reached the lighthouse. Lilia had been walking so quickly it had been difficult to keep up with her. She'd voiced her displeasure at having to wander visible through city streets loudly and colourfully back in his house in Bravil as they'd discussed the plan. She'd pointed out that she'd been going invisible constantly as she'd killed off the Black Hand members, but had finally agreed to remain visible when Ungolim reasoned that the traitor most likely hadn't been following her then. She'd grumbled that there was no reason to think she was being followed now, but she would do it if it would please her Listener. Lucien had started to say something at that but Ungolim had cut him off. The two of them argued like children; lethal, violent, and mildly psychotic children. He was starting to feel like a babysitter.

"Now you need to go talk to the lighthouse keeper." Lucien whispered as they stood at the base of the lighthouse, set on top of a tall outcropping of rock that jutted into the Abacean Sea.

"No way. It's bad enough that I've had to talk to someone today without killing him; I'm not doing it again. Besides, the place you want to go is down there." She pointed at a small door that was set in the side of the lighthouse. It looked as though it would lead to a cellar or storage area.

"So you admit you know the traitor." Ungolim could hear Lucien pull his dagger from its sheath. The Speaker had been jumping to conclusions all day. Ungolim wanted to order him not to kill Lilia, in Sithis' name, just to make his own life easier, but he hesitated to do so. He still didn't entirely trust the cranky vampire.

"For Sithis' sake, Lucien, you're insane! I'm not the traitor! But I can smell the dead things behind that door, and you could to if you got a little closer to it." Lilia stalked over to the low wall that surrounded the graveled walkway and sat on it, keeping both the assassins and the door in her line of vision. She crossed her arms and looked incredibly grumpy.

"Lucien, go open the door." The wind had shifted, and Ungolim knew Lilia was right. He could smell a hint of decay coming from the direction of the lighthouse.

"Yes Listener. But don't let her out of your sight. And don't let her sneak up behind me. And don't let her leave. And…"

"I understand, Speaker. Now go." Ungolim shifted a little to the side, the better able to keep an eye on both Speaker and Silencer at the same time. By observing Lilia's gaze he was able to follow Lucien's progress to the door. It was so bizarre to watch her track something invisible with her eyes.

"Watch out for traps. You should be an expert at spotting them, since you're a master at using them." Lilia called out sardonically in the direction of the door, and then proceeded to lie back on the wall, staring at the blue sky above.

Ungolim was able to hear a lockpick snap as Lucien worked, followed by the Speaker's dark oaths. He thought he heard Lilia snicker at Lucien's troubles. A few seconds later he heard Lucien quietly call out.

"It's open."

"So go look. I'll stay out here and try not to teleport anything." Lilia hadn't moved.

"Nice try. We're not leaving you alone. In fact, you get to go first." Lucien now sounded closer to Ungolim.

"So that I can plant, or conceal, evidence? Thanks." Lilia got up and stalked towards the doorway, waiting for the two others to join her. Ungolim noticed that her breathing was erratic; a quick sniff, followed by several seconds of holding her breath, before exhaling. Did vampires even need to breathe? Some vague recollection seemed to tell him they didn't.

Lilia made her way through the door first, followed by himself, trailed by Lucien. Ungolim wanted to keep as much distance as possible between the two. The smell and noise were the first things he noticed, before his eyes adjusted to the gloom. The stench of rotten meat, putrid and decaying, assaulted his nose. He could hear the incessant drone of flies, buzzing somewhere in the corner. A group of white shapes under the source of the noise revealed themselves to be slaughtered sheep, and following Lilia's stare he saw the dead body of a woman, Breton most likely, lying haphazardly on top of a cupboard, pale green eyes staring into nothingness. The vampire didn't seem to be breathing at all anymore.

"There's no one here." Lucien's voice from behind startled Ungolim, causing him to flinch. He was glad that the other man couldn't see him.

"You sound surprised Lucien. Didn't your detect life spell already tell you that?" Even the presence of so much perversity didn't seem to curb Lilia's tongue.

"Quiet. Lucien, you go look around. Lilia, just stand there and don't do anything." He didn't want the Speaker to have any more reason to suspect the vampire of treachery. Lucien moved off to a door set in the far wall, and went inside. Ungolim could hear him searching through cupboards and drawers. In the meantime Lilia was standing still, hands clasped in front of her, looking directly at Ungolim. She was definitely not breathing any more, and she didn't seem to be blinking either. While the Wood Elf had certainly been surrounded by far worse carnage, often caused by himself, normally he didn't hang around once things started to rot. Standing here in the presence of the decaying corpses, trying to breathe through his mouth while not swallowing any flies, being stared at by the walking undead, he was starting to feel very unsettled.

"Nothing in there." Lucien had moved back into the main room, bitterness clear in his voice. Ungolim was thankful that Lilia was now watching him as he began searching the room, and she seemed to be blinking again. She was even breathing occasionally. Lucien proceeded to methodically search everything, ripping open the mattress, going through all the drawers, cupboards, barrels, and crates that jammed the room. He even pushed around the dead carcasses, making sure nothing was hidden beneath them. Ungolim had always been impressed by the Speaker's ability to remain calm. At least, his ability to remain calm when not dealing with his vampire Silencer.

"Nothing. He's left nothing behind." Lucien had dropped his invisibility spell and was looking angrily at the dead body.

"Well, we do know that he isn't you, and he certainly isn't me." Lilia spoke.

"You need to go talk to the lighthouse keeper." Lucien was looking at the Silencer now, his words commanding.

"No." From the way she stiffened Ungolim could see that she had no intention of doing so.

"Lucien, I think you'd better talk to the lighthouse keeper. I'll wait outside with Lilia." He didn't want to stand around in the smelly cramped horrors of the lighthouse cellar any longer, listening to those two argue. Besides, he was fairly certain that regardless of who asked the lighthouse keeper would be of little help. Whoever the traitor was he certainly was able to hide his identity well. Also, he had a question that he desperately wanted the answer to, and that he didn't want Lucien to overhear.

Lucien gave a curious look in the direction of the Bosmer, but agreed to do it. He left the cellar first, followed closely by Ungolim, Lilia coming out last. The vampire returned to the stone wall, this time sitting on it and looking out towards the sea. Ungolim waited until Lucien had disappeared inside the lighthouse before going to sit a short distance beside her.

"Lilia, there's something I need to know." She turned her head to look at him, a bored expression on her face. She'd stopped trying to charm him with smiles last night; she'd seemed to notice the way his stomach lurched whenever she did that. He wondered if she was tired; he was really starting to feel fatigued, and they had a long walk back to Bravil ahead of them. He realized that he most likely wouldn't get any sleep until after the meeting with the Night Mother. Oh well, he'd stayed awake far longer many times before this. But then, he hadn't had to keep two members of the Black Hand from tearing each other apart.

"Did you know how long it would take before the langourwine poison took effect?" The thought of just what might have happened had Lucien not interrupted them horrified Ungolim. The vampire sneered slightly as she answered.

"No, but don't worry, I wouldn't have compromised your virtue. I find you as attractive as you find me." With that she turned back to the sea.

For the first time that day Ungolim felt just a little bit happy.


	26. Chapter 26: Night Falls

The journey back seemed even longer than the trip out to Anvil. Lilia walked as far ahead as she could without causing Lucien to complain and she didn't stop unless ordered to. Ungolim and Lucien held a whispered conversation for most of the trek, and while they had a better idea of who the traitor might be, they certainly weren't sure exactly who it was or how to prove it. The only description both the grizzled old lighthouse keeper and the young Bosmer had been able to provide was woefully vague. He was a man, dressed in what sounded like Black Hand robes. While that certainly ruled out Arquen, whose name had already been rejected because she was the target of the next contract; Banus Alor, a Dark Elf; Ungolim; Lucien, who had been with Ungolim at the time this mystery man approached Enilroth; and Lilia; that still left two possible suspects within the Black Hand itself. Belisarius Arius, an Imperial who had been a faithful member of the Black Hand for over twenty years, and Mathieu Bellamont, an incredibly skilled assassin who had practically been raised in the Dark Brotherhood since he was a teenager. Both seemed so unlikely that Ungolim still hadn't dismissed the possibility that someone outside of the organization had instigated such chaos.

Lucien was again expressing his views that Lilia was somehow involved in all of this despite the overwhelming evidence to the contrary. Ungolim was starting to suspect that Lucien was more upset that he'd lost control of the Silencer than that he actually believed she was working with Bellamont, Arius, or some unknown mystery man. Ungolim always thought that the Speaker had difficulty accepting his own failures and mistakes.

Night had already fallen by the time they returned to Bravil. Unlocking the door to his house Ungolim allowed the other two to follow inside behind him. He left the front door unlocked; the other assassins would probably be arriving shortly if they hadn't already seen his return.

Lilia had returned her chair to the far corner and was sitting on it, warily watching both him and Lucien. Ungolim couldn't really blame her for not trusting them; they'd allowed her to be the unwitting pawn that was used to kill off four members of the Brotherhood, and she'd been given nothing but grief for it since last night. He still didn't trust her entirely, but that had more to do with the fact that she was no longer bound by the five tenets, than any concern that she was about to kill him. That, and the fact that she was a vampire.

Arquen was the first to arrive, silently gliding in through the front door. Ungolim pulled her aside and briefly explained what had happened, leaving out the information about the possibility that Belisarius or Mathieu might be the traitor. He didn't want the other members of the Black Hand to employ their heavy-handed methods to discover the truth. He trusted that the Night Mother would reveal all, and he felt very safe being surrounded by his faithful, skilled brethren. The idea of punishing the traitor in the sacred resting place of the Unholy Matron herself appealed strongly to his artistic side. Lucien hadn't been happy about the Listener's plan, but Ungolim had ordered him not to tell the others. He was confident everything would work out.

He saw the Altmer eyeing the Silencer in the corner carefully. He knew that they would initially want to punish her for her crimes against the Black Hand, but he hoped that logic would prevail. The vampire most likely wasn't at fault. Arquen moved to go sit next to Lucien, at the opposite side of the table from Lilia. While she was a very skilled administrator, and a master of stealth, Ungolim never cared to chat with the High Elf for long periods of time. He fancied he could see her brains as he looked up at her upturned nose.

Banus Alor was the next to arrive, slipping into the room while Ungolim was distracted. Ungolim was startled to see him head over to Lilia and greet her warmly, before he remembered that the other Speaker had had business near Cheydinhal and had been present at the Silencer's welcome dinner. He was a little disturbed to watch her smile, laugh, and otherwise charm the Dunmer. When Banus went to greet Arquen and Lucien he saw Lucien pull the mer into a corner and proceed to have a whispered conversation. Seeing Banus' smile fade as he glanced occasionally at Lilia, Ungolim could guess at what was being discussed. Banus looked rather unhappy when he sat down at the table next to Arquen. He was studiously ignoring Lilia, and she didn't seem to care.

Stilted conversations were started and abandoned. Everyone was distinctly uncomfortable, except for Lilia, who looked both bored and uncomfortable.

Just after midnight both Belisarius and Mathieu arrived together. As Ungolim spoke with Belisarius, informing him of the cause of the family member's deaths, he noticed Mathieu go introduce himself to Lilia. From what he could hear it almost sounded as if the Breton Silencer was flirting with her, but she certainly didn't respond to him as she had to Banus. In fact, he thought she was being a bit rude. Belisarius went to sit at the table, and Ungolim moved to intercept Mathieu before Lucien could. Repeating his tale to Bellamont he noticed that the younger man kept observing Lilia with a small smile. Ungolim felt goosebumps crawl up his skin at the idea that the Breton seemed to be attracted to the vampire.

Everyone assembled; Ungolim finally took the last chair and moved to sit at the table. The five mortal assassins were all squished together on the far side of the table from Lilia, as if afraid that she was about to jump up and bite them all. Ungolim sighed. He still had no idea what to do with her after this mess was sorted out. If she was innocent, as he suspected, he didn't know what sort of role she could play in the Black Hand. She certainly couldn't remain as Lucien's Silencer, that much was certain. He gave a small prayer to Sithis that she could be re-bound to the tenets.

Time seemed to pass excruciatingly slowly, no one speaking. Finally the bells of the Chapel rang out; it was three in the morning. Time to visit the Night Mother.

* * *

Lilia sat on the chair in the corner, aware of the stares of the other assassins. She didn't really care; she had far greater things to worry about. Everything had been set in motion and soon it would be settled one way or another. She strongly suspected that she wouldn't live to see the dawn. 

She knew who the traitor was; it had been easy to tell. He was the only one who hadn't shown any internal emotion, be it shock, anger, or fear, when told that she'd killed Shaleez, Havilstein, Alval, and J'Ghasta. The way he had seemed to flirt with her had confirmed it in her mind. She again contemplated the Gods' sick sense of humour.

Of course it had to be the man she had seen fifteen years ago. Lilia had been walking down the path to the summer cottage that her family occasionally rented in Valenwood, off the coast of the Abacean Sea, just west of where the moving city of Falinesti spent the summer. It was the only place that she considered as a sort of home, a small stone cottage with a fantastic view of the water. Only herself and her parents ever stayed there; there were no servants or guards or anyone else invited. It was just their small family unit and she'd cherished the time they spent alone.

She'd seen the pale man as she'd been hiking home from the shore. She'd caught a glimpse of his face through the thick bushes as he was walking along the road that she knew led only from her family's cottage. He had remarkably white skin with extremely dark eyes and she'd thought he was a ghost at first. But she'd seen ghosts before and they were far less corporeal. Noting his unusual leather armour a wave of fear had washed over her and she'd run the rest of the way home. Her parents had started dinner without her, as they'd said they would, and she'd found them in the dining room. They were dead, their bodies seemingly curled up in agony from the pain of the poison that killed them. They had meant the world to her, and her heart broke as she'd collapsed sobbing to the floor. It was then that Lilia had offered her life to Stendarr, God of mercy and righteous justice, to use and guide as he saw fit.

So the irony of Mathieu Bellamont, the murderer of her parents, using her for his own twisted purposes wasn't lost on her. She stared at a spot on the wall in front of her as she waited for the minutes to pass. To kill the time, she decided to focus on blinking and breathing. She certainly didn't want to give the other members of the Black Hand any further reasons to stare.

When the bells rang out she felt a wave of emotions wash over her. Relief, that it was finally time to go; nervousness about what lay ahead; and a hefty dose of fear. She looked over to Ungolim. That little mer had been a terrible kisser. He was also a fool. At least he'd kept Lucien from trying to kill her, and he seemed to trust her, kind of. Her vampirism certainly disturbed him, his body language told her that loud and clear.

"It's time." He stood quickly and pointed towards the front door. Without any other words the rest of the members also stood and began making their way out into the city of Bravil. Mathieu actually tried to offer Lilia his hand, but she merely nodded coolly at him and walked forward. There was no way she could bring herself to touch him, at least not without the incredibly painful end of a weapon.

Stepping out she noticed that a thick fog blanketed the city. The smell of the stagnant water from the canal that separated the city into two halves, which also doubled as the city's sewer system, assaulted her nose. She didn't care for this wretched place ruled by a drunken Count who'd abandoned it to run its course. Crime of all sorts flourished, and she suspected that the corruption here would make even Adamus Phillida shake his head in disbelief, were he still alive to do so. Lilia was grateful for the cover of fog; the presence of seven hooded and robed figures, six in black and one in grey, would probably arouse some sort of suspicions if they were seen.

Standing back she watched as Arquen led the ritual to summon the Night Mother. The six assassins were arranged in a semi-circle in front of the Lucky Lady, a statue of a hooded woman with small children clinging to her legs, which sat in the middle of the town square. It was rumoured that the statue would bless you with luck if you kissed it. Lilia resisted the urge to jump up and do so; she could certainly use any help she could get.

Grateful that she had ignored her impulse Lilia watched as the statue slid back, the female figure twisting and withering as a small trapdoor was revealed from under its base. The ritual had been completed. The assassins made their way down into the dark space that lay below. Ungolim came over to Lilia.

"Try not to do anything down there." He motioned for her to step forward. It appeared he wasn't completely confident that the Black Hand wouldn't execute her of their own accord. Nodding to him, she moved to the trapdoor and climbed carefully down.

She was in a very old burial tomb. The heavy presence of evil pressed in around her; she felt as if she were somehow inside of the stone door that guarded the Cheydinhal sanctuary. Whispers seemed to dance around her, and she was greatly disturbed to find that the black snake that lurked in her mind, calling constantly for blood, seemed to be answering back. Trying hard to keep herself from shaking, she glanced around as she took her place in the semi-circle of assassins. The floor, walls, and ceiling were roughly carved out of dark rock. Two stone sarcophagi, carved in the style favoured during the First Era, were on either side of the room. A stone slab, a dry skeleton lain on top, seemed to serve as a kind of altar. There was an assortment of offerings in front of it including what appeared to be the skeletons of five infants. Lilia closed her eyes and tried to focus on breathing; she couldn't collapse now.

She heard Ungolim climb down the ladder and a low grinding sound came from above the closed trapdoor; the statue had returned to its original position. They were now all trapped in here until it was finished. Hearing the Listener move past her Lilia opened her eyes.

An eighth figure was now in the room; the ghostly body of an unremarkable woman floated in front of the Bosmer. Fascinated, Lilia took in the form of the Night Mother. She was richly dressed in what appeared to be a velvet skirt and shirt. Her mid-length hair was partially pulled back. Other than the hint of a jaw and nose, her face did not glow as the rest of her body did, and Lilia was unable to discern if she was young or old, beautiful or unattractive. Whatever she was her presence terrified Lilia.

"Most Unholy Matron, we seek your guidance in our time of need." Ungolim bowed forward as he spoke. Lilia thought she could hear a faint note of fear in his voice. Quickly glancing at the other assassins she noticed that they too were affected by the ghostly woman. "There is a traitor among us."

"Of course there is. You are weak, Ungolim. Long have I known, long have I watched him…" The sudden spray of hot blood across her face jolted Lilia to the core. Looking to her right she saw Belisarius Arius, now missing a head, crumple to the floor. Mathieu Bellamont was wielding an enchanted silver longsword that was currently plunged into the chest of Banus Alor. The attack had been so quick. The other assassins scrambled to pull out their weapons. Arquen, armed with an elegant elven shortsword, was the first to move forward to meet the attack. Lucien's ebony dagger was in his hand, and Ungolim had pulled out his elven dagger; his bow and arrows had been left behind as they were useless in close combat. The two men watched warily as the Breton and High Elf struggled; when assassins fought it was best to stay out of reach of their poisoned blades.

Arquen was fast, and she moved gracefully as she brought her sword up to parry and block Mathieu's attacks; but the Breton, while slightly slower, was far more skilled. Ducking under a high swing of hers he rammed his sword straight up into her chest. Blood flowing copiously from her mouth, Arquen's body went limp. Spinning around as he turned to face the others Bellamont's sword sent splatters of blood in an arc across the room. His silver longsword was now glowing red, the enchantment twinkling through the dark coating of blood.

Lilia touched her fingertips to her shortsword. So far Mathieu hadn't made any moves to attack her; in fact, she almost felt forgotten about. She wasn't going to draw her weapon, and draw attention to herself, until it looked necessary. In the meantime she decided to wait and see how things played out.

"I'll celebrate a dead Lachance!" Mathieu cried out as he rushed towards the Speaker, longsword in his right hand, ready to strike. Lucien braced himself, dagger held up ready to block. But he didn't need to, as Ungolim quickly stepped forward, shoving his dagger straight into Bellamont's stomach. Lilia was shocked at how well the Listener could move; he'd obviously achieved his rank due to his skill rather than his managerial talents. The wound was mortal and Mathieu staggered, his pale face ashen as the poison took hold. But Ungolim had made a fatal mistake; he'd left his dagger embedded in the Breton's torso. He was unable to parry the longsword that slashed across his neck as Bellamont fell to the ground. Clutching his neck, blood gushing out between his fingers, Lilia could see that Ungolim was in shock. Looking at her the Wood Elf spoke, his voice garbled with blood.

"Why?" Ungolim dropped to his knees, his face contorted in confusion and pain. Why hadn't she moved to help him?

"You told me not to do anything." She whispered as the Listener fell forward onto the bumpy floor, now slick with blood. Looking up she saw that Lucien's dagger was still unsheathed and pointed menacingly at her. She quickly pulled out her shortsword. The voice of the Night Mother broke the tense silence.

"Come forward dear child." She was addressing Lilia. Stepping carefully over the body of Ungolim Lilia stood in front of the Night Mother. Lucien had taken a step back, and still held his dagger firmly, but his face betrayed his surprise.

"I have watched you as you murdered my children, the members of the Black Hand." She sounded pleased at this.

"I reveled in their slaughter." Lilia spoke truthfully. It had felt good to assassinate the assassins. She'd known that the contracts had been switched; the parchment was not the same, the tone of the contracts had changed, and the red wax seal, imprinted with a hand, was different - the thumb portion was missing a piece. While she hadn't been pleased with Lucien's contracts she'd at least known he was a man of his word. She'd never been ordered to kill anyone who hadn't deserved death.

But when she'd retrieved the contract to assassinate J'Ghasta she'd felt that sensation of being pushed forward that she recognized as being a sign from the Gods. Trusting in them she'd searched his house after killing him and had found the familiar dark hood and robes that Lucien always wore. A copy of the _Five Tenets _had been beside Shaleez's bedroll in Forgotten Mine. Lilia hadn't bothered looking for any more clues as to her contract's identities after that. But she'd never imagined in her wildest dreams that Mathieu Bellamont would aid her in her quest, albeit unwittingly.

The Night Mother laughed at this, a cold, hollow laugh. "Of course you did, dear child, of course you did. You have a heart as black as midnight. You were marked by Sithis himself while in your mother's womb." The Night Mother was praising her! She couldn't believe it.

Turning a little, so she could see Lucien clearly, she spoke to both of them. "If that's true, then why did I have to find Lucien, rather than him seeking me?" The ghostly figure stiffened, obviously displeased by the question. Lucien, however, was angry.

"You traitorous bitch!" Lilia sent a shock spell at him as he surged forward, jumping backwards at the same time to put some distance between them. She felt a pain in her left shoulder; a quick glance showed it to be a small throwing star. Lucien had moved so fast she hadn't seen him throw it. She could feel the effects of the silence poison, her magicka suddenly gone. A silence poison was a small charge of magicka of limited duration, unlike a spell, since there was no caster to maintain it. This was small comfort to her as she dodged away from Lucien Lachance, formidable Speaker of the Black Hand.

She weighed her options as she moved around the room, trying to avoid the tangle of bodies that littered the floor. She was well trained, but training was no match for experience, which Lucien had plenty of. The sanctuary members had all mentioned his remarkable skill. He was also very cunning. Seizing on an idea that might give her an edge, at least until the poison wore off; she decided to try to enrage him. If she could make him angry enough he might make a mistake, and she might have a chance.

"Antionetta died first. The slut didn't even know what happened." Lucien's face contorted briefly, and he stabbed forward. Lilia twisted out of the way, but his blade had cut a line along her left forearm. The poison stung painfully. She hopped backwards onto the base of the stone slab, sending the tiny skeletons flying.

"Teinaava took the longest to die. He twitched in agony for ages." Lucien looked even more murderous, and Lilia ran behind a sarcophagus on the other side of the room to avoid him.

"Ocheeva kept crying to the Night Mother for mercy." That seemed to do it. Lucien uttered an inarticulate cry of rage and ran forward. Waiting until the last moment Lilia shot out her weakened left arm, pushing his dagger away from her heart. Instead of fleeing from him she moved forward to meet him. Their bodies collided as she shoved the daedric shortsword in her right hand into his side and twisted. At the same time pain shot through her body. Lucien blinked twice in surprise, and then slumped backwards onto the sarcophagus; his dying body being pulled by gravity onto the floor. She'd managed to kill him but at great cost to herself. His poisoned dagger had plunged into her left side, and the wound was now bleeding steadily. The pain was so intense she felt like she was going to faint. Reaching out she braced herself against the wall and pulled the dagger out with her left hand, tossing it to the floor, before shoving her hand back against the wound. It was just a matter of time now; either she'd bleed to death, or the silence poison would wear off first.

Her vision was dimming when she felt the first trickle of magicka flow back into her. She sent a healing spell through her left hand, and the flow of blood slowed. She kept casting as her magicka recharged, until she was able to stand unsupported. Lilia sent a mild cure poison spell into her side to dull the pain. She wasn't concerned with being fully healed; it wouldn't matter now.

"Foolish girl. Do you think you could possibly harm me?" The Night Mother had watched silently as the fight had taken place.

"No." There was no mortal weapon or magic that could damage her; she was a spirit bound to Sithis, focal point of the Dark Brotherhood. She existed in an altogether different plane of being.

Lilia moved in to the middle of the room and closed her eyes, raising her hands in supplication to the Gods. She prayed to them with all of her heart and soul. She'd done everything they'd asked, followed them into dark and dangerous places, and she implored them to use her, an unworthy vessel, to do their work. "Stendarr, please don't abandon me now." She begged.

Her eyes flew open and she watched her arms move down to point at the Night Mother. She recognized the feeling of losing control over herself, but she didn't fight it this time. A bright white glow came from her body, the light hurting her eyes, but she was unable to blink or look away. Suddenly she felt a pulse race through her and a vibrant beam of white light shot from her hands.

The feeling was indescribable. She felt the terrible and just fury of Stendarr pass through her; so intense she thought she was going to dissolve, pulled apart by the power of the Divine. The pain was worse than anything she could ever have imagined, and yet she felt incredible joy at the same time. Just when she thought that she could hold out no longer, when she wanted to let herself go, fading away into the light, everything went dark.

* * *

She opened her eyes and saw nothing but blackness. The feeling of evil was gone; she was alone in the tomb. Lilia realized that there was no source of illumination so she tried to cast a light spell. A very faint glow emanated from her body, revealing the dead assassins strewn about the room. Every single part of her body ached, and the poison in her arm and side burnt terribly. 

It had been fifteen years since she'd made a vow to Stendarr, offering her meager talents, her very life, in exchange for an opportunity to destroy the Dark Brotherhood. While there were still other assassins out there, without the Night Mother to coordinate their contracts and activities they would never again pose the same threat to the people of Tamriel. No longer would spineless cowards be able to call upon a private army of assassins to kill innocent people on a whim. She thought she'd been noble in her offer, but she'd often wondered if she hadn't done it out of her own need for revenge. And now that she'd accomplished her goal she found it far more bitter than sweet.

She'd spent so many years following the whims of the God, training and learning in preparation to take on the Dark Brotherhood. After she'd discovered her parents' bodies she'd gone wild with grief, eventually sobbing herself to sleep beside them as she lay curled up on the rough wool carpet. Stendarr had visited her in her dreams, though he didn't appear in any particular form. Lilia had just awoken with the knowledge that her vow had been accepted, and that she'd need to prepare herself first. Ever since that moment she'd never felt that her life was truly her own to control.

She'd lost so much. So many years, so many people killed, so many things that she couldn't undo. She'd come close to losing her sanity several times, and she'd even lost her mortality. As for her soul…

There was something that she desperately needed to know. Trying to focus, she cast her recall spell, teleporting herself to the magical anchor she'd left behind the Chapel of Mara.

* * *

Uravasa Othrelos replaced the last candle in the candelabra. It had been her turn to stay up all night, sounding the chapel bells and tending to the candles that lit the room. The bells had recently been rung four times, and in another hour she'd have to ring them again before waking up Marz, the Argonian healer, who would take over her duties. She enjoyed the solitude of the great chapel, being able to talk to Mara out loud. She loved speaking to the Goddess and some nights she almost felt as if Mara spoke back, but so softly that she couldn't really hear Her. The Dunmer had often been told that she had a gift, an amazing ability to use words. Uravasa even had people pay her for training. But she'd always believed that it was Mara, the Mother-Goddess, who guided her tongue. 

The door to the chapel banged open and the strangest woman Uravasa had ever seen staggered in. She was covered in blood, the dark red staining her torn robe, coating her hooded face. She was moving slowly down the centre aisle, obviously in great pain. Uravasa reined in her impulse to run over to the woman and offer assistance, something about her frightened the Dark Elf into inaction. Even though Uravasa was standing in plain view at the end of a pew the blood soaked woman never looked at her, instead making her way directly to the main altar. With difficulty the grim figure knelt and performed the ritual ablutions to receive the Gods' blessings.

"Mara Mother Mild!" she exclaimed in her mind. Her hands flying to her mouth Uravasa almost cried out in surprise. A bright white glow had descended upon the woman, and had rippled out from her, like the waves caused by a pebble dropped in a pond. As the wave of light washed over her Uravasa could feel the blessing of the Nine infuse her body with a sense of peace and restoration. She'd seen many people receive blessings from the Gods before but most of the time it was just a soft glow that floated over the supplicant. She'd heard of Primates and Paladins that could cause such an intense blessing, one that would affect those around them, but she'd never seen it before. The strange woman, now healed of her injuries, made her way quickly over to the altar of Stendarr. Kneeling in front of it she seemed to be praying fervently.

Moving quietly Uravasa went down the stairs and entered the private quarters, leaving the woman alone in the chapel. She waited until it was almost five, wondering all the while about what she had just witnessed. Coming back up the stairs she was relieved to find the Chapel once again empty.


	27. Chapter 27: As the Wind Blows

The cold wind was whipping the sea into frothy peaks and the sound of the waves crashing on the rocks could be heard throughout the town of Anvil. The local sailors had already battened down the hatches of their ships and they were now huddled into the cheap inns that stood on the dock, drinking ale and swapping tales, which would become more fanciful as the day wore on.

The door to the Mages Guild slammed open, a sudden gust of wind sending the parchments on her desk in the front hall flying, and Carahil didn't need to look to know who it was. Roliand Hanus, Imperial Battlemage, seemed to make it his life's purpose to annoy her, albeit unintentionally. With a sigh she looked up and gave him a weary greeting. She already had so much on her list of things to do today and chatting with Roliand certainly wasn't one of them. It was already the eleventh of Frostfall, and the Witches' Festival would be taking place in two days. She still needed to take inventory, assign duties to her fellow members, and prepare the price list for selling spells. It was the only day of the year that discounts were given to non-guild members, and the hall was always filled with amateur magicians who'd been saving their septims all year in anticipation.

Stammering out apologies Roliand quickly shut the door behind him and stepped into the hall, his muddy boot coming down on the shopping list of reagents she had been working on. Thaurron's pet imp, Sparky, had managed to get into the alchemical supplies last night, and had eaten and ruined several ingredients. The mages still weren't sure exactly what the imp had ingested, but he was now the colour of molten lava. Felan Relas, the guild hall alchemist, had offered to dissect the imp in order to discover the cause of his colour change, and Carahil had needed to calm the slightly hysterical Thaurron down when he heard the suggestion. She knew the older mer was merely needling the upset Bosmer in retaliation for the disorder in his alchemy cabinets. The Dunmer was a very exact and precise man, which is one of the reasons he was such an excellent alchemist.

Looking down Roliand seemed to realize his error and tried to scrape the parchment off his foot, tearing it in half in the process.

"Stop. Just don't move." Carahil wanted to head off any further attempts of his to help. With a few waves of her hands the parchments flew up and set themselves back down on top of her desk, neatly stacked and sorted in order. She'd just have to re-write the list later. "I take it by your presence here that the rogue mage has been apprehended?"

"Well, she's dead." Carahil was startled to hear that it had been a woman preying on merchants traveling alone along the Gold Road. For some reason she'd always assumed that it had been a man. In her experience it tended to be men that were most likely to stab you in the back unexpectedly.

"And the new Associate, Lilia, did she return with you?" The male Imperials eyes widened at the name, and his words tumbled out in an excited rush as he answered her question.

"No, she said she needed to travel east. I told her I'd report back to you. Carahil, you should have seen it. It was absolutely amazing." The Altmer arched a skeptical eyebrow at him as she motioned for him to continue. It didn't take much to impress the young Battlemage.

"Arielle met her last night and told her to get a room at the inn and to pretend that she was a merchant. This morning we both followed a short distance behind Lilia, invisible, as she walked along the road. Suddenly old Caminalda popped out of the bushes and demanded money!" Carahil had met Caminalda years ago, and didn't care for Roliand's use of the term old. The High Elf had actually been two years younger than herself.

"And so you and Arielle fought and killed her. Good work."

"No! Well yes, kind of." Roliand frowned a little below his blue mages' hood. "But before we could get to her Caminalda sent a giant frostball at Lilia. It must have been this big!" He was holding his hands apart, indicating a shape the approximate size of a watermelon.

"Caminalda was a gifted mage." Carahil still couldn't see what the young man was so excited about.

"Well, yes. But Lilia caught it! Not like a spell absorption, or reflection, but actually caught it in her hands and then tossed it off into a giant aloe plant!" He had been miming the movements with his arms, his steel armour squeaking along.

Carahil sighed again. Once more she wondered about the wisdom of her decision to come to the mainland, leaving behind her home in the Summerset Isles. At the time it had seemed to be a fantastic opportunity, an easier way to move up the ranks. After all, the Imperials and Bretons who made up the majority of the guild members in Cyrodiil had far shorter lives than her own, so at least she wouldn't have to wait as long for people to retire or die out of their positions. The long life span of the Altmer made moving up the guild in the Isles an exercise in extreme patience.

So she'd moved to Anvil, taking a position at the guild hall. Fifty years later she was still here though she was now the guild hall leader. Her ambition still burned brightly, but her patience was wearing thin. Dealing with the uneducated men and women who seemed to make up the majority of the Battlemages did nothing to help. She was still amazed at how little they seemed to know about magic beyond the limited borders of their home province.

"Roliand, would you..." She trailed off as she quickly remembered just who she was addressing. "Felas?"

The white hair of the dapper mer poked up from behind the alchemy station set up in a room just off the main hall. He was still busy sorting out the powders and leaves that were strewn around the floor. "Was there something you needed Carahil?"

"Felas, would you please toss a frostball at me? A small one."

"Of course." Waving his right hand a small ball of glittering cold magic made its way through the air towards the High Elf. Carahil caught it with both hands, keeping the twinkling sphere suspended between them. Just as he did everything, the frostball Felas had fired was a perfectly formed ball of tightly controlled magic, excellently executed.

"Was it something like that?" Carahil asked, as she released the frostball up to land against the ceiling right above Roliand's head. A thin circle of ice now coated the dark wood beams, and a few flakes of snow drifted down to land on the Imperial's hood.

Roliand's mouth had dropped open, slack in amazement. "By the Nine! How did you do that?"

Carahil had to resist the urge to roll her eyes. She'd hoped that the appointment of Hannibal Traven to the position of Arch Mage would have resulted in several positive boons to the guild, including better training of the new Battlemages. She'd supported Traven wholeheartedly and had been overjoyed when she'd heard that he'd become Arch-Magister of the Mages Guild. But other than his banning the study of Necromancy by guild members she'd not seen him accomplish much. He'd been the guild leader of the Anvil hall for years before his move to the Arcane University in the Imperial City, and he knew Carahil's ambitions and abilities well. Traven had all but promised her advancement in the guild and he was well aware of how bored she'd become of the town of Anvil. Instead of giving her a seat on the council, or moving her to a job within the University, he had promoted her instead to his old role of Anvil guild hall leader. She was still rather bitter about it.

"It is a very simple spell that any High Elf magician worth the title knows well. It's good in cases of emergency, but it costs an excessive amount of magicka to do; spell reflection does a much better job so everyone uses it instead. Now if there's nothing else you require, I have duties to attend to." Carahil put her hands on the stacks of parchment to hold them down as she watched Roliand make his goodbyes and exit through the front door.

Starting her list over again, Carahil mused about Roliand's tale as she listened to the occasional drip of water splash down to the floor from the melting ice on the ceiling. Where had the new Associate learned how to do that? She certainly didn't look like a High Elf.

* * *

The steady gusts of wind propelled Lilia along the Gold Road as she made her way east. The edges of her blue cloak pressed around her, flapping against her mismatched armour. It had been so long since she'd moved through the world without hiding in shadow, keeping herself secret, and she welcomed the solitude after so much time spent with others in Anvil. Glancing down again she was confident that her spell worked.

It had taken her weeks to perfect a spell that caused her aura, the only true indicator of her vampirism, to shift and change like other mortals. Even so, it had been with extreme trepidation that she'd presented herself at the Mages Guild and applied for membership. But nobody had cried out in terror and no one had tried to attack her. Even Arielle Jurard's detect life spell failed to reveal Lilia's true nature and the Breton Battlemage was highly skilled. Her partner, Roliand Hanus, had been a different story.

Lilia had shown up in Anvil at the beginning of Frostfall. The presence of so many passenger ships made it easy for her to pretend that she'd just arrived from another province. She'd joined the Fighters Guild to have a place to stay and as a source of blood; she found that warriors tended to be among the heaviest sleepers, as well as the heaviest drinkers, making feeding slightly less risky. Azzan, the Redguard head of the local guild, had given her a couple of small jobs.

The first had been dealing with an eccentric Dunmer whose pet rats were being killed in the basement of her house. Lilia still wasn't sure how a mountain lion had managed to sneak into Anvil and enter the woman's cellar, and it had been an unenjoyable fight, battling the lion without accidentally killing the rats underfoot in the process. The creature's claws had torn several large gashes in her robe before she'd defeated it, making her realize that buying some armour might be a good investment. She wasn't an assassin anymore; stealth was no longer as necessary.

Morvayn's Peacemakers was said to be the best, and only, blacksmith shop in town. She'd purchased a set of chainmail armour from the Dark Elf and had recognized the ill looking young blonde Wood Elf standing by the forge. Her appearance had caused him to drop the steel shortsword he'd been working on into a tub of cold water, the superheated metal cracking straight down the centre as it cooled too fast. Morvayn had taught her a few new Dunmeri swear words when he saw what had happened. Enilroth's recognition of her didn't worry her; the worst he could tell anyone is that she'd once worked for the Count and Countess of Leyawiin. There was nothing that could connect her to the horrible scene that had been discovered at the base of the lighthouse, and there wasn't anyone who knew of her former involvement with the Dark Brotherhood. Lilia had operated very carefully to ensure that.

The second job that Azzan had given her had provided her with the armour that she was currently wearing. A gang of thieves had been breaking into a store on the docks run by a meek Breton named Norbert Lelles. The thieves were all former employees, the plan having been hatched over too much rum. It seems Norbert had neither collected their keys nor changed the locks, and they'd been stealing from him for almost a week. They had been armed and armoured when they'd broken in to find Lilia waiting for them, but they were sailors, not fighters. She was able to subdue them and hand them in to the city guard, after first claiming a few choice pieces of armour from them as her reward.

Enilroth had managed to keep the battle axe in his hand when she'd reappeared at the shop, and he'd done a fantastic job of banging the metal into a shape that fit her frame. No matter how much she'd tried to learn she simply had no skill at repairing armour. She'd managed to flatten the fingers of gauntlets while working the cuffs, and one memorable accident involving an ebony cuirass, a misplaced hammer strike, and a loose bolt had almost resulted in the loss of one of her ears. Paying armourers for their time and talent was something that she was more than happy to do.

Her new ensemble had caused quite a bit of mirth with her fellow fighter's guild members, but she'd understood the reason. She'd caught a glimpse of her reflection in a window once she'd left the shop and she knew her gear was more laugh-inspiring than terror-inducing. A pointed mithril helmet sat on top of her head, complimented by a pair of elven greaves. Heavy orcish gauntlets covered her hands and shining steel boots protected her feet. A massive dwarven cuirass completed the unusual look. She'd kept her chainmail ensemble; it was relatively light and she liked having a back up set.

The road ahead of her branched and a smaller road headed north, up to Kvatch. Glancing up she again took in the impressive sight of the walled city, built high up on top of a rocky cliff. Many people considered it to be the jewel of Cyrodiil, filled with the finest homes, shops, and parks, and it even had its own arena. As a child Lilia had once stayed there for the most miserable week of her life. It had rained the entire time, causing the troupe of Khajiiti acrobats she'd been hoping to see to cancel their scheduled performance in the open-air arena. The wet, slick stone streets had resulted in her falling and breaking a wrist. After she'd been healed at the temple she'd tripped on the stairs while leaving and had broken her foot. To this day she still didn't know how she'd managed to contract Droops, which wasn't identified until after her second clumsy fall. The potion she'd had to drink to cure it had caused her a constant headache and had made her skin turn a strange shade of orange for a few days. And she'd managed to lose her favourite dolly. All in all, she'd been relieved when Carahil had told her that the Kvatch guild hall leader was on sabbatical so she didn't need to bother going there for a recommendation. Lilia would be happy if she never had to go to Kvatch ever again; the city certainly seemed to be bad luck for her.

The new requirements to gain access to the Arcane University was a recommendation from seven guild hall leaders; symbolic of the six schools of magic and the study of alchemy. Carahil's plan to send Lilia, a brand new associate, off as bait in a trap to catch a murderous mage had surprised her, but she admired the concern the Altmer obviously had for those who lived and traveled outside of the walls of Anvil. It was refreshing to meet someone who didn't use the excuse of 'it's not in my town/city/backyard, so it's not my problem.'

The decision hadn't been an easy one, but she'd chosen to go to Bravil next. She had so many terrible memories involving that city, but she'd always preferred to tackle the worst first. For good or evil, Bravil it was.


	28. Chapter 28: Party of Two

The Bravil guild hall was a rickety wooden building, held up more with magic than with nails. The interior was cozy, despite the fact that the ceiling, walls, and floor were all built out of the same decrepit grey-brown wood. Large windows allowed daylight to filter in, and magical runes glowed on the floor. Lilia was sitting on a bench in the foyer, listening as the mages chatted happily with each other. She was impressed with the amount of members who called Bravil home. She would have thought that this would be the most deserted guild hall of all.

Kud-Ei, the Argonian guild hall leader, approached and sat close to Lilia on the bench. Bending in, she asked a question with a whispered voice.

"Are you sure you can trust him to bring it back?" Kud-Ei's task to earn a recommendation was far less dangerous, or useful, than Carahil's had been. Ardiline, the young Altmer who worked as the guild's alchemist, had had her mages' staff stolen by Varon Vamori, her Dark Elf admirer. Lilia's task was to retrieve the mages' staff from Varon. From the motions Varon had made when he'd greeted Lilia she knew he was a member of the Thieves Guild, but she hadn't bothered making the countersign. Only the people living on the waterfront of the Imperial City knew of her brief involvement with the guild. She wasn't even sure if she was still a member; if Armand had repeated any of her comments to the Gray Fox she was sure that she'd have been expelled a long time ago.

Kud-Ei had provided a charm scroll to use on him, but Lilia already had a more powerful spell in her repertoire. Ever since she'd become a vampire she found her charm spell far more powerful and easier to cast. Varon had fallen under the magical influence and had revealed his infatuation with the Altmer and the theft of her staff. He'd also admitted that he had sold it to a man in the Imperial City. Not wanting to go there yet, Lilia had managed to convince Varon to fetch the staff, posing it as a challenge that he wouldn't be able to complete. As she'd expected the thief had leapt at the chance to prove his skills, once again confirming her suspicions that the Thieves Guild members stole more for the bragging rights than the monetary rewards.

"Don't worry. He should be back with it tomorrow." She'd also promised the young elf a reward of a hundred septims, so she felt fairly confident that the missing staff would return with the Dunmer.

"Very well Associate. I hope this works." Kud-Ei got up and moved over to speak with Henantier, a male High Elf guild member who apparently liked to experiment with magic. The way the two stood so close together made Lilia suspect that theirs was not a purely professional relationship. She glanced around the room, again weighing her options.

There were several more hours until Varon would return. Lilia didn't want to wander the streets or explore the area; it had been hard enough for her to refrain from running to the guild when she'd entered the city. She'd taken a circuitous route to avoid the sight of Ungolim's house, and the twisted statue of the Lucky Lady, but she hadn't been able to avoid seeing the Great Chapel of Mara towering high above the other buildings.

Her hand involuntarily rubbed the hilt of the daedric shortsword as memories pushed against her. Stendarr's use of her to destroy the Night Mother had meant nothing in terms of her soul; she knew that the Gods had their own unique uses for the saints and sinners of Nirn. But the blessing that had washed over her as she'd knelt in front of the main altar had let her know that she wasn't yet damned for eternity. But if she hadn't murdered Vicente, an innocent, then that meant…

Shaking her head, she was distracted by the arrival of yet another guild member through the front door. A short Dark Elf, dwarven cuirass strapped on top of his robes, was walking towards her. Standing, she was surprised when he greeted her by name.

"Lilia, very good to meet you. I understand you're earning your recommendations." Seeing her puzzled look the mer laughed. "Roliand paid us a visit on his way to Leyawiin. According to him both you and Carahil have the powers of Almalexia herself."

She smiled in understanding. Lilia had noticed the young Battlemage astride a chestnut horse fly past her on the road yesterday.

"Ah, I'm afraid Roliand must be a bit confused. It was Arielle and himself that defeated Camanilda. I merely served as the bait. It's good to meet you…"

"Fathis Aren, Court Wizard of Bravil." Pulling the gauntlet off her right hand she shook the mer's outstretched hand in the Imperial style. He seemed to tingle with powerful magic. Taking another look at him she attempted to guess his age, and then quickly gave up. He stood and moved as a young mer, but wrinkles showed plainly around his eyes and mouth. His black hair was thick and straight, the front pieces pulled back to keep it out of his face. He continued speaking. "I'm disappointed to hear that. I'd hoped a goddess would be able to teach me a few new tricks."

She laughed. "I suspect that if anyone knows a trick or two, it would be yourself." He seemed to be studying her, and for a brief instant fear that her spell had failed washed over her.

"I'm not keeping you from anything, am I?" He was definitely inspecting her.

"No. Actually, I was just sitting here trying to think of a way to pass the time." Lilia kept her tone light and airy. Relief flooded through her when Fathis smiled.

"In that case, I was wondering if you might want to accompany me. I've been invited to an unusual party, and I'd like to bring a guest."

* * *

As they made their way north out of Bravil Fathis filled Lilia in on the situation. He'd received an unsigned note asking him to visit Robber's Glen Cave to discuss matters of great import. He had reason to suspect that Necromancers were behind it; there were rumours floating through the guild that rather than having been snuffed out by Hannibal Traven's ban of the practice they'd simply gone underground instead. It was also rumoured that they had spies in the guild itself. Fathis certainly wasn't foolish enough to go alone, but he didn't want to bring any of his fellow mages with him; they were far too recognizable. Lilia, dressed in her strange mish-mash of armour, looked more like a rather unsuccessful mercenary than a mage.

After she'd accepted his invitation in the guild hall, grateful to have something to do other than wait and think, Fathis had made her cast a few spells both offensive and defensive to show that she would be an asset rather than a liability. Watching her he showed the typical Dark Elf unflappability, and hadn't made any comments at all, either positive or negative, on her abilities. He'd merely nodded and led her out the door into the streets of Bravil. Lilia assumed she must have passed inspection.

The walk lasted about an hour, during which they discussed the possible reasons that Necromancers would have for contacting the court wizard. Several theories were floated and then dismissed. Both were quiet as they approached the gapped door that led into the large rock. They'd decided not to go in fighting if they wanted to try and learn anything. The way Fathis' body had reacted as they spoke made her trust that it wasn't a trap of his design. What had the mer gotten himself into?

Fathis entered the cave first, Lilia following close behind. The passage snaked down into the earth. As they followed the twisting tunnel Lilia noticed the bodies of imps, their sides cut open and the gall bladders removed. She wasn't surprised; imp gall could be used to make a very deadly poison. The air was now much cooler and Lilia could smell people up ahead. She thanked Stendarr that she couldn't smell any undead. If they were Necromancers at least they hadn't brought any pet zombies to the meeting. A sharp turn in the tunnel lay ahead of them, and from the proximity of the purple figures Lilia could tell that they lay beyond it. Grabbing Fathis, who was glowing with a light spell, as well as various protective enchantments, she held up three fingers to indicate the number of people, and then pointed to indicate that they were on the other side of the rock wall. He gave her a nod and a smile and then stepped around the curve.

Following him Lilia found herself in a large natural cavern. Giant stalactites, several feet long, seemed to drip out of the curved ceiling. The floor was uneven and several pointed rocks, stalagmites mimicking their cousins above them, were located haphazardly throughout the space. Lilia could see two other passages leading off from this main room, but she couldn't see, smell, or hear anything else alive down there.

Three people were dressed in the black robes, red skull symbol wrought on the chest, which marked them as Necromancers. Lilia had a personal dislike of the servants of Mannimarco, King of Worms.

"Fathis Aren. We've been waiting for you. But who have you brought with you?" A tall Altmer female, hair covered in a black hood, stood in the centre of the room, flanked by a Dunmer male and a female Orc. Her expression revealed the contempt with which she regarded Lilia.

"Nobody important. Just an ex-member of the Fighter's Guild doing a bit of work for me." Fathis readily lied. Part of their plan had been for Lilia to pose as a warrior. Most students of the Dark Arts regarded those without magical abilities as being of no more use than as a source of spare parts.

The Altmer gave a cruel smile. "Very well. Come a little closer, we have much to discuss."

Fathis Aren stepped towards the hooded mer and the two began to converse in low voices. Magic made their words unintelligible to Lilia's ears. As they spoke Lilia decided to try and distract the bodyguards, as she considered the other two to be. She began nodding her head as if listening to a particularly catchy tune. The Dunmer and Orc were dividing their attention between her and Fathis. When she was sure that she had their eyes on her she started wiggling her body on the spot as if she yearned to dance. The two were now spending more time staring at her than at Fathis. After a little while longer Lilia brought her hands up and started pumping them close to her shoulders in what she hoped was a ridiculous manner, nodding and wiggling all the while. The two were now completely absorbed in watching the apparently feebleminded bodyguard of Fathis Aren dance obliviously on the spot in the middle of a group of Necromancers.

So they were slow to react when Fathis sent a powerful stream of shock magic into the Altmer. Lilia had seen the way his muscles were tensing and knew he was about to act, and she shot out the silence spell she'd been readying at the Orc, hitting her square in the chest. Many people considered Orcs to be of limited intelligence, unable to cast all but the simplest of spells, and they couldn't be more wrong. Orc Shamans were among the most powerful wizards in Tamriel, so Lilia had decided to neutralize her first. Looking at the Dunmer she quickly dropped to the ground, his fireball spell whistling over her head and smashing into the rock wall a few feet behind her. Pushing herself back up she was surprised at what she saw.

A glittering frost atronach was now in the cavern, its massive frozen form fighting the silenced Orc, who wielded a steel mace in her hand. Fathis was sending a stream of shock magic into the Dunmer, killing him as he had the High Elf. Lilia averted her eyes as she noticed the thick ice arms of the atronach clap together onto the head of the Orc. Looking back she saw Fathis give her a smile, and she tried hard not to stare at the atronach, its hands now covered in both green and red bits of gore.

"Are all of the parties you're invited to so exciting?" She asked.

"No, normally they're far less entertaining. What were you doing back there? An Illusion spell? Those two," he gestured at the bodies of the Dunmer and the Orc, "couldn't keep their eyes off of you."

"It wasn't any kind of magic at all. Just this." She began nodding, wiggling, and pumping her arms again. Fathis laughed at her absurd movements.

"Perhaps there are a few tricks that you can teach me after all. Come, let's get out of here." He moved towards the passage.

"Not yet." Lilia had walked forward and was now dragging the body of the Dunmer over to the corpse of the Orc. Fathis watched as she pulled the limp form of the Altmer over as well, arranging the bodies into a pile.

"Can you move your atronach back?" Lilia asked. She didn't want it to get angry at what she was about to do.

"Of course." The large ice elemental stomped its way over to Fathis.

Concentrating deeply, Lilia drew from her magicka, weaving it into the very essence of fire itself. With a mental push she forced it into physical being, creating an intense pulse of light and heat in front of her. Looking at where the bodies had been she was unable to see anything but ash. Turning, she noticed Fathis looking at her with a slight frown.

"Was that necessary? They were already dead." Lilia was surprised to hear Fathis' question.

"Yes, it was necessary, unless you have a fondness for zombies." Fathis looked confused, so she quickly continued. "Necromancers bind not only their souls but their bodies to the King of Worms. Through dark rituals they establish a connection with him, and after he has collected their souls upon their deaths he reanimates their corpses to serve as his minions. If you ever kill a Necromancer you must always take care to destroy the body. I find fire a preferable choice to other, more hands-on, methods."

"Just what else do you know about Necromancers?" His voice was very curious.

"I'll tell you, but let's do it outside." The subject of Necromancy was one that Lilia did not relish discussing, especially underground in the dark.

Lilia and Fathis both started up the tunnel but the atronach behind them was too big to fit through the opening. With a sigh Fathis waved his hands, dissolving the elemental. Now it was Lilia's turn to be confused; most summoned creatures did not need to be dismissed back to the void of Oblivion. Normally it was the will of the caster that bound it to Nirn despite its contrary desires.

Asking him about it, Fathis seemed surprised by her question. "Have you not studied conjuration?"

"No. I've never had any interest in the subject. Personally, I rather disapprove of the whole concept – pulling daedra and their weapons out of Oblivion and forcing them to stay in the realm of Nirn, well, it has always been a repugnant idea to me." Fathis looked back at her, an amused expression on his face. Shaking his head, he continued on towards the daylight.

"Well, I was going to offer you a discount on lessons…" Lilia stopped walking. She just realized that she'd spoken to the conjuration master who worked at the guild hall in Bravil. She'd heard the other mages mention him, but they'd never linked the name with the teacher. Oh dear.

"…but I think I should just give them to you for free. You obviously need them." His voice floated down to her, and she started walking again, hurrying to catch up. He didn't sound angry at all. They emerged into the cloudy day. A fine rain had begun to fall, and the land faded out into obscured grey before them. "Tell me, you've been walking the plane of Nirn for how long now with such ideas?"

"Nice try. If you want to know how old I am you'll need to tell me your age first." Lilia gave him a grin.

"I'm afraid you're just going to have to guess." His angled features had an inscrutable smile across them. Fathis obviously thought she would guess wrong.

"Very well then." Lilia closed her eyes and let her consciousness go, stretching out to meet and meld with the threads of Mundus and Aetherius. She tried hard not to ask the question, but rather, to already know the answer. She opened her eyes and again regarded the mer in front of her.

"So tell me, what is a four-hundred-something year old Telvanni wizard doing in a town like Bravil?" She asked.

After a brief pause of shock, he replied. "Perhaps the better question would be, what is a Psijic of Artaeum doing here?"


	29. Chapter 29: Tel Aren

Lilia sat in a comfortable armchair, fragrant cup of tea in hand. Sipping occasionally to keep up appearances she glanced around, once more watching the figures of flame atronachs moving around the fort. While this certainly was no mushroom tower, she was still impressed by Fathis Aren's home. The Dunmer was sitting across from her in a matching chair. A small magical fire crackled between them, driving away the chill moist air.

By unspoken mutual consent they'd decided to save their talk for a less open location. Instead Lilia had told Fathis all she knew of the habits and lore of Necromancers as they'd traveled to the ancient fort he lived in, just south of Bravil. While he had been impressed with her knowledge, she had been distinctly unimpressed by his lack of it. She had expected the Mages Guild to have better educated their members about the dangers of Dark magic, especially since they'd banned its use.

In return Fathis had begun explaining to her the fundamentals of conjuration. Much to her surprise she discovered that there were two ways to summon magical creatures. The first was the way favoured by most mages, and also the type of magic she would never be comfortable performing, the method of summoning various daedra from the plane of Oblivion to the realm of Nirn. The second way was more complicated, didn't involve any other planes, but yielded far more satisfying results. Fathis had just finished explaining that the salts, or essence, of elementals could be combined with a magic that wove together the schools of mysticism, alteration, and illusion, to create an atronach that didn't rely on the magicka and will of the caster to sustain it. The fiery guards he had patrolling his home were proof of his words.

"But what about their will? Isn't there the danger that they could turn on you?" Lilia had heard many a horror story of what happened when conjurers lost control of their summoned creatures.

"As I told you, they aren't really atronachs. They look, move, and react like them, but it is your magic that makes them." He was patiently explaining the concept. "Recall the fire you cast back in the cave. Now picture that you've created a figure with this fire that burns by your will. Now imagine that this fiery creation of your will can exist when you turn your mind to other things. You see, there is no soul, no mind, no will of its own. The creatures are, essentially, part of the creator."

"Ah." It made more sense to her now. "So you'll teach me how to do this? To make my own atronachs?"

Fathis laughed at the question. "Yes, in time, but not right now. Right now, I have other things I wish to discuss." Lilia had been waiting for this.

"Of course. I will happily tell you my tale, and you may ask all the questions you wish, but I may not answer them all. Fair enough?" The Dunmer nodded his head in agreement, and Lilia began speaking.

"Well, I should probably tell you a bit about my parents first. My father was a diplomat, traveling endlessly to solve the delicate political problems of the realm. My mother and I used to journey with him, so I've been all over the Empire. Obviously I didn't have any formal education, but my mother always employed the best tutors she could get, and that we could afford, wherever we went. I often had court wizards such as yourself train me in magic. I also used to spend a lot of time watching, practicing, and occasionally training with the warriors. And of course, there were many tutors that my mother would never have approved of, teaching me things I probably shouldn't have learnt.

When I was eighteen my father was called to the Ashlands of Vvardenfell to resolve a land dispute involving the Ahemmusa tribe, a rogue Telvanni wizard, and a newly discovered vein of ebony. By that point in time I was starting to feel the need for adventure; I had a strong desire to truly explore the lands. So I convinced my father to let me go with him and a group of Legion soldiers to visit the tribe. The journey there and the stay at the settlement were fascinating, but uneventful. It was on our way back to Vos that we were attacked by the rogue Telvanni and a group of mercenaries. Since I was the only spell caster in the group the wizard attacked me first, throwing magically enhanced coda flower dust in my eyes. I was instantly stricken blind. Luckily for me the wizard was killed by a stray arrow from one of his own mercenaries before he could follow up with his spells. The group of them quickly surrendered after their employer was dead. We all continued back to town, and I tried to heal myself along the way.

On my return my mother took me straight to the Tribunal Temple for healing. Even though the living gods were no longer gods, and two of them were no longer living, the Temple was still the best place to go. Coda flower dust normally only blinds for a day or so, but I didn't regain my sight after two days. The priests tried everything over the course of a week but nothing worked. One day my mother overheard them talking about Divayth Fyr, the Telvanni wizard who ran the corprusarium during the blight storms and the rise and fall of the sixth house. He was rumoured to have cured the Nerevarine himself of corprus disease. So my mother packed me off and took me to Tel Fyr."

"Wait, your mother was a Dunmer?" Fathis was surprised. Even among Dark Elves there were few who would dare go to a Telvanni wizard's tower unasked.

"No. She was of mixed blood though, as was my father. My Dunmer blood comes from his veins." Lilia held up her hands to cut him off. "I'll not answer those questions just yet. My mother may not have been Dunmeri, but she was a formidable woman who'd long traveled the length and breadth of Tamriel, so she had no hesitations in marching up to the Tel of a wizard of reputedly unmatched power uninvited. I often wish I had her courage."

"You keep saying 'was.' I assume your parents are dead." Lilia nodded at his words. "What were their names?"

"Of course. I haven't spoken about them for so many years, I'm afraid I'm out of practice. My mother's name was Erissare, and my father's was Eraden." Lilia smiled as she spoke. It was nice to name them again.

"Your mother had an Altmeri name, and your father a Bosmeri one?"

"Yes. And my name is an entirely different story. I thought you would have been more interested in my meeting with Master Fyr." Fathis nodded and leaned back in his armchair, waiting for her to continue her tale.

"I assume you're familiar with the legends surrounding Divayth Fyr, but I'll remind you of the relevant ones. It was said that he was many centuries old, that he'd once been a Psijic, and that he was the most powerful mage alive. I cannot verify the stories, but I certainly can't deny them either. We arrived at the Tel and luckily my mother's impertinence seemed to intrigue him, rather than annoy him. He agreed to meet with me. He levitated me up to his study and had me take a seat.

I should probably mention that I had received limited mysticism training, but it was already my favourite school of magic. I knew a detect life spell and I had been using it constantly since I'd lost my sight. As Master Fyr moved around the room, asking me questions and looking for books I did the polite thing and followed him with my head as I answered, blind though I was. I don't know what made him do it, but suddenly I couldn't hear him anymore. But I could still see him, so I tracked him as he moved around. Quite honestly I thought I'd gone deaf as well at that point.

He quickly disabused me of that notion when he sat on the desk in front of me. He told me he was going to summon a creature, and I was to tell him what it was without turning my head. Master Fyr summoned a scamp behind me, and I told him so. He didn't say anything for a while, and then he handed me something and asked me what it was. Feeling it, I told him it was a dagger. He chuckled, and told me to try again, to look at it with my mind. So I did, using the mysticism that I'd been taught, trying to let the world reveal the dagger to me. And it did.

He didn't chuckle when I tossed it across the room, but he did sound amused when he asked me why I'd felt the need to murder his stuffed kagouti head." She looked straight into the eyes of the mer sitting across from her. "Fathis, the dagger had been used in a very violent and very vicious murder centuries ago. And I saw it happen in my mind, saw as it carved through flesh…" She trailed off and gave a slight shudder. No matter how much she tried, she'd never been able to shake the images that had come to her mind that day.

"When I told him what I'd seen he didn't do anything for ages. It must only have been minutes, but it felt like hours. Finally he left the room without a word and went to go speak to my mother. When he returned he informed me that she was going back to Vos and I was to stay with him as he tried to cure me. I spent three life-changing weeks at Tel Fyr. By the end of it he'd cured my blindness, but he'd also introduced me to so many new and incredible things in the realm of magic. I don't know if he ever slept, and I'm not sure if I did either. The memories are actually a bit blurry."

"I'm not surprised. The Telvanni are not known for sharing secrets." Fathis was looking intently at her, and she suspected he was trying to see some sort of physical mark, or sign, of her stay with the renowned Dunmer.

"I traveled alone back to Vos and my parents were overjoyed that I'd been cured. The only side effect that you'll see is my eyes are now grey. They used to be a lovely shade of dark blue, but that is a small price to pay for the gift of sight. A letter had been sent ahead for me, from Master Fyr. He wrote to me that he had conferred with the Psijics of Arteaum and I was welcome to study with them whenever I wished." Lilia stared down into the fire. "I know, it was an incredible gesture on his part. Oftentimes though I've suspected he did everything as much for his own benefit as well as for mine. I had the impression that after a couple of millennia things could get rather stale, and as I'd said before I seemed to amuse him. Actually, I often seem to have that effect on people."

"What was he like? I never met him when I lived in Morrowind." Fathis leaned forward as he posed the question.

"The only thing I can say is incredible. Any way that you might describe him, you'd use that word. Incredibly smart, incredibly powerful, incredibly kind, or incredibly cruel; all seem appropriate."

"But why aren't you still in Artaeum, studying with the Psijics? You look far too young, even by the standards of mer, to have completed their training." Fathis asked.

"That's because I didn't. I only spent five years with them before I was called away. I will not discuss what happened after that, so please don't ask." The two sat in silence for a while watching the magical flames.

"I don't believe you." Seeing her shocked look he explained. "Oh, I believe you met Master Fyr, and I believe you've been to Artaeum. That was no parlour trick when you guessed not only my age, but also my origins. No, what I don't believe is that you have any Dark Elf blood in you. I can't see it." He smiled as he shook his head.

Lilia laughed. "It is there, but it is many generations back in my family tree." Fathis thought about this for a while.

"If you do have Dunmeri heritage, then you'd be able to summon an ancestor guardian. Do that, and I'll believe you." He waved his hand to indicate the empty space by the fire where she should summon her spirit. Lilia hesitated.

"If you cannot, then I'm afraid your father was mistaken." Fathis' voice was quiet and kind.

"Well, it's not that I can't. I didn't learn that I could summon an ancestor guardian until my travels to the Ahemmusa camp. I was familiar with my heritage, but I didn't know about the ability it conferred. I also mentioned that the Dark Elf blood is many generations removed. By the time I learnt how to call forth my ancestors they were already sleeping. But they did send me a spirit. It's just a little unusual."

Fathis knew what she was talking about. He'd heard of those who could only summon a small child, or an elderly woman, instead of a proud and mighty warrior. "I understand. Will you still introduce me?"

Lilia sighed. "Very well. Fathis Aren, I'd like you to meet Hanarai." Fathis saw the familiar blue mist as the form of an ancestor rose out of the ground. But it was a tiny form. A very tiny form indeed.

"You're part rabbit?"

"No, of course not. And she's not a rabbit, she's a wild hare. Hanarai was the beloved pet of my ancestor, the powerful warrior Novor Sarethi. I'm house Redoran by birth." Lilia tried very had not to sound defensive. She'd never shown anyone, besides the wise woman of the Ahemmusa tribe, her ancestor guardian before.

Fathis watched as Hanarai hopped about the floor. He'd heard of many strange things when it came to the whims of the ancestors, but never anything quite like this.

"Lilia, the point of an ancestor guardian is that they are supposed to be a guardian. They're supposed to help you, to fight on your side when you're overwhelmed. How can Hanarai do that?" The hare seemed to be settling down for a nap.

"Well, she can bite people. She could bite your ankles."

Fathis pulled the hem of his robes up. "Lilia, I'm wearing dwarven boots."

"But if you weren't she could cause quite a bit of damage. Maybe even sever a tendon." Fathis could hold it in no longer. He burst out laughing, and heard Lilia quickly join in. Hanarai, disturbed by the noise, proceeded to hop away until Lilia dismissed her, sending her spirit back to rest.

Fathis looked at the strange woman sitting across from him. She was right about one thing; he certainly found her amusing. But in a good way.


	30. Chapter 30: Weighty Matters

It was a clear and chilly day. Frost had settled onto the once green weeds that lined the road, now yellow with cold. Up ahead the flags of Cheydinhal snapped in the morning light as they fluttered on the high ramparts of the city wall. The massive gates were open, and two guards stood at attention, watching as people made their way in and out of the city.

Lilia watched it all as she fought to keep herself from running away. Bravil hadn't been the worst place to go; she'd happily deluded herself about that. She'd had no reason to remain there after Varon had returned from the Imperial City, broken into the guild, and returned the staff to Ardaline's room; which wasn't at all what Lilia had asked him to do. Kud-Ei had not been impressed by the thief's actions, but since the staff had been returned as she'd asked she did agree to send on a recommendation. Promising to frequently visit her new friend and teacher Lilia had said farewell to the Telvanni wizard. Fathis had sworn not to breathe a word of her fuzzy guardian to anyone.

Leaving Bravil she'd decided to head down to Leyawiin. It was so far south it would still be warm, though it was the rainy season. It also didn't feel like a part of the rest of Cyrodiil because it hadn't been one to begin with.

Lilia had hoped, during the strange weeks she'd spent after she'd left the Chapel of Mara, that she would be released from her servitude to the Nine. Before she'd gone to Anvil she'd tried to cross over the mountains into Hammerfell, intending to go on to High Rock to get a cure for her vampirism. But she'd found that there was some invisible boundary that wouldn't let her pass. No matter how hard she'd tried, including attempting to leap off a cliff but accomplishing nothing more than hopping on the spot, she found her body turning back to the tall spire of the White Gold Tower, her muscles refusing to take her away from it. Over and over again she'd attempted to leave, but after two days she'd been forced to give up and go search for blood. For some reason the Gods weren't done with her yet, and they seemed determined to keep her a vampire, and to keep her in Cyrodiil.

The thought scared her a little. All of the previous years she had known to what purpose she was working towards, had an idea of the things that lay ahead. But now she had no idea what she was supposed to be doing or why, except that she'd been pushed to join the guilds. A little shove had sent her in the direction of the Fighters Guild, but she hadn't minded. Lilia had always toyed with the idea of working with them before she'd chosen a different route. She had been far more reluctant to join the Mages Guild, because they would be more likely to notice her condition, but she couldn't ignore the way she felt tugged every time she passed by the guild hall. Trusting in the Nine she'd signed up. Trust in the Divines was all she had left.

So now she found herself standing near Cheydinhal, trying to convince herself to walk towards it. She was near the west gate, and all she had to do was walk through it, head south, and she'd be right at the guild halls. No need to cross the stream, no need to see the abandoned house, the empty well…

She tried to shove the rising memories back down. Now was not the time to lose control of her emotions. She just had to walk through the gate and head south. One foot at a time.

Taking a deep breath the scents of the world helped calm her. Lilia could smell the leaves, leathery and starting to decay, as they clung to the trees; painted now with shades of orange and gold. She could smell the faint scent of snow and stone as the wind blew down from the mountains to the north. Masser and Secunda still danced through the night sky, and Nirn was still in one piece. There was no reason for her to feel so afraid.

Lilia gave a silent prayer of thanksgiving to Kynareth, the nature Goddess, for the comfort of her creations. Staring down at the road in front of her she walked to the gates while trying to order her thoughts about the Mages Guild.

The Anvil and Bravil chapter had both impressed Lilia, with their organized chaos and the industry and energy of the guild members. But Leyawiin had been something completely different, and Lilia was beginning to wonder what kind of man Traven was to have appointed Dagail as the guild hall leader. She was a wizened Wood Elf, gray hair pulled high up on her head, and she positively glowed with magicka. But something was wrong with her, her mind had stretched too far into Aetherius, and she was useless as a leader. Agata, an immensely practical Nord, was running the guild hall by herself and she was the one who had assigned Lilia her task.

Dagail's amulet, a device that was supposed to help the mer focus her thoughts, had gone missing. By questioning the other guild members Lilia had learned from Kalthar, the darkest haired and least attractive Nord she'd ever seen, that Dagail's father had apparently suffered from a similar affliction. Agata and Dagail had confirmed his words and she'd been sent to Fort Blueblood to desecrate the mer's tomb and retrieve his amulet. Not at all pleased with the task Lilia had gone directly there, moving invisibly past the bandits that now called the fort their home. She'd seen enough death to last her for a long while so she hadn't interfered with them.

Upon reaching the crypt deep underground she had pried open the stone coffin and retrieved the amulet from the neck of the skeleton inside. Hearing heavy footsteps running towards the burial chamber she had been surprised to see Kalthar come into the room. When he'd caused the skeleton of Dagail's father to rise up to attack, Lilia had realized that the Nord didn't intend to let her leave the fort alive. She'd also realized that the supposedly reformed Necromancer wasn't reformed at all. He also wasn't particularly skilled, using so much of his magical energy to control the skeleton that she'd decided to unsheathe her sword and move in to attack him. Having let the skeleton collapse in order to better focus on the fight, Kalthar had moved to meet her, heavy glass mace in hand. He was a better warrior than wizard, and her armour had received some rather impressive dents, but she'd managed to cut his mace arm off and he'd died shortly thereafter from blood loss and shock. She had then proceeded to cut his body into pieces to prevent him from rising as the undead. She'd chosen to do it by hand in order to reserve her magicka for exiting the fort unseen.

Dagail had been slightly saner with the amulet, and Agata had promised to make sure that Lilia's recommendation was sent on to the Arcane University. After a quick stop at the local blacksmith, where her armour had been repaired and the mace sold for a few hundred septims, Lilia had almost walked out before remembering to buy a bow and a quiver of arrows. She'd ingrained it so deeply into her mind that she needed to kill without making it look like murder she had almost forgotten that she was no longer an assassin, living a secret life. She could use arrows again, and she'd left Leyawiin with a new silver bow and some ebony arrows, the best the store had for sale.

Looking up Lilia realized she was in front of the entrance to the Cheydinhal Mages Guild. Large blue banners, decorated with the guild's symbol of the magical eye, hung down against the large wood and plaster structure. Making her way up the steps she noted that the flowering shrubs that lined the stairs still bloomed, their pink and purple petals magically prolonged. Stepping in she found herself in the largest guild hall she'd been in so far. Half flights of stairs led off upstairs and downstairs on both sides of the foyer, and several mages were bustling about. The thing that seemed off was that nobody was chatting; mages were known for their love of talking, especially about gossip and arcane subjects. A Redguard approached her.

"Greetings. I'm Trayvond, Mages Guild Evoker. Surprised? Yes, you don't see many Redguards in the Mages Guild. We don't much like spellcasters in Hammerfell. Wizards steal souls and tamper with minds. If you use magic, you're weak or wicked. My family didn't approve of my vocation, so I had to come to Cyrodiil for my education. I admit... I still have strong prejudices against necromancy, summoning, and illusion. Profaning the remains or souls of the dead is just wrong. And I'm uneasy about tampering with other's minds and trafficking with Daedra."

Lilia liked him already. She knew that the people of Hammerfell were renowned more for their warriors than their mages, but that didn't mean they didn't have magical talent. Most chose not to develop it though.

"Nice to meet you Trayvond. I'm Lilia, a new Mages Guild Associate, and…" The sudden appearance by her side of a very tall Altmer, clothed luxuriously in fur trimmed velvet, grey hair swept smoothly back from his forehead, made her stop speaking. The way Trayvond reacted she suspected he was the guild leader.

"Did you say Lilia? Fathis Aren's new pet?" The Altmer was looking imperiously down at her. Lilia tried hard to control the muscles of her face and contain her surprise, not wanting to give the High Elf the satisfaction. She and Fathis had told the guild members of Bravil about the unusual meeting in Robbers Glen Cave, leaving out a few details, and the gossip must have already spread. Mages really did love fresh gossip.

"I believe that's what I said. And you are?" She tried to look imperiously up at him, but it was difficult to do.

"Falcar, guild hall leader and Mages Guild Wizard. You want my recommendation, do you not?" Falcar seemed far more condescending than normal for an Altmer. The mer of the Summerset Isles were not known for their friendliness to other races.

"Of course." Lilia didn't want to ask him directly for it; she had a stubborn streak when it came to self-important individuals. Too many years of having to deal with the entitled children of dukes, counts, and kings had developed it.

Falcar and Lilia stared at each other. If he wanted to have a contest to see who would blink first then he'd chosen the wrong vampire. All of the guild members were watching them; they seemed a bit nervous. Falcar finally spoke.

"I lost my ring in the well. Deetsan has the key. Go get it." With that he left her, heading into a door that appeared to lead to the basement. The guild members had worried expressions as they looked at her. Ignoring them she made her way to the Argonian that she assumed was Deetsan and asked for the key.

"Later." The Argonian hissed at her. Lilia looked at her sharply; she had no intention of waiting in this guild or in the town. She wanted to get this over with.

"Now." Lilia held out her hand, and was given the key by a reluctant Deetsan. Making her way up the stairs she found herself in the sleeping quarters of the guild. Casting a weak chameleon spell she proceeded to remove all her armour and change into a pair of pants and a short-sleeved shirt, stuffing her armour into her bag. Chameleon had been one of the first spells she'd ever learnt how to cast; it was invaluable for maintaining a small sense of privacy in shared quarters. Looking around she spotted a barrel, opening it she found it empty. Her bag was stuffed into it and a magical lock spell sealed the barrel closed. Lilia knew where the well was; she'd seen it before. She wasn't looking forward to the swim in the frigid water so she braced herself and walked quickly out of the guild, past the still quiet mages, and made her way to the back of the guild hall.

As she unlocked the grate she tried hard not to think of the similar well across town. Tossing the metal cover quickly aside it smashed into the side of the guild, gouging out a hunk of plaster. Lilia was more upset than she'd realized. She took a deep breath to calm herself and dove into the dark water.

Casting a light spell she found that the shaft of the well emerged into a rocky cave filled with murky water. Seeing something moving in the gloom below her she cursed herself that she hadn't brought her sword, but a better look revealed a dead body, hand apparently stuck to the rocky floor. Looking even closer she noticed that the hand was wearing a ring that seemed to be holding the young Nord down. He was dressed in ragged clothes and hadn't really begun to decompose; the freezing water had delayed the process.

Rage swept through her as Lilia's mind jumped to conclusions. The man was dressed for swimming in a well, Falcar had 'lost' his ring, and Deetsan had been scared to give her the key. Pulling at the ring she found it incredibly heavy, magically enchanted with a burden charm of remarkable power. Working carefully she managed to free the Nord's hand from it and maneuvered his body back up the well. Placing him over her shoulder she climbed out, small magical flames licking against her skin to dry her, warm her, and express her anger.

She used a telekinesis spell to open the doors, her emotions causing them to slam against the wall. Stepping into the foyer she heard the sound of glass shattering on the ground to her left as she moved to lay the Nord on the floor.

"Vidkun!" The High Elf female who had been the cause of the noise had cried out at the sight of the dead body. The guild members seemed to come out of the woodwork, standing in a circle around him. They were talking now.

"Associate, come with me." Lilia heard the gentle voice of Deetsan as she indicated for her to go upstairs. Wanting her equipment anyway, Lilia followed the Argonian into the sleeping quarters. Casting her chameleon spell she moved to the barrel to change.

"Poor Vidkun." The Argonian looked very sad, her eyes blinking rapidly. "He was an Associate like yourself who wanted to earn his recommendation. He never returned from his task, and we didn't know what had happened. I wanted to warn you, but I didn't want anyone to overhear. After you left, I confronted Falcar. He got so angry I thought he would kill me! He stormed out of the guild hall. I don't think he'll be back."

This was not what Lilia wanted to hear. She gave the Argonian a gentle pat on the arm, noting Deetsan's remarkable colouring. Her scales were green and grey on her face, while her body was blue with peach patterns. Deetsan was wringing her hands nervously.

"I'm sorry Deetsan."

"Thank you. I don't think Falcar had time to write your recommendation, but you might want to check his room in the basement anyway. If he didn't I will send one on explaining the unusual circumstances." Deetsan went to join the other mages on the main floor, Lilia following her down. She left the group to themselves and proceeded into the basement to search Falcar's room. Maybe he had left a clue as to where he'd gone.

Pulling open his chest of drawers Lilia suddenly understood why he'd mentioned her connection with Fathis Aren. Two soul gems, inky purple in colour, lay inside.


	31. Chapter 31:  Twilight

The sun sank below the horizon, dipping out of sight. Fingering the hilt of her sword Lilia gave the same prayer that she did every day at sunset, imploring the Nine to have mercy on the soul of Vicente Valtieri. Turning around she eyed the entrance to Gutted Mine in front of her.

After she'd shown Deetsan the black soul gems, powerful crystals used by Necromancers to capture the life force of people, she'd ended up in conversation with Trayvond. He'd mentioned that there was a shrine to Azura up in the mountains north of the city. She'd made a quick purchase from Eilonwy, the alchemist who had recognized Vidkun, and then had made her way to the Fighter's Guild.

While the Mages Guild merely had a murderous Altmer Necromancer as its guild leader, the Fighters Guild appeared to be run by a semi-competent, truculent Orc. Burz Gro-Kash, Fighters Guild Guardian, had gruffly given her an assignment to deliver a shipment of weapons to some waiting members and then help them clear out a goblin infested mine. She'd spent the entire journey there wondering just how these fellow fighters had forgotten to bring weapons with them.

It had made a bit more sense when she'd met them. After distributing the weapons to the three of them they'd run off en masse into the twisting mine shafts, without a discussion of strategy or an attempt at scouting. Lilia had used her telekinesis spell several times as they'd worked, pulling the overenthusiastic fighters away from traps and goblins. She'd been incredibly grateful when they'd finished and she was able to leave the three brutes behind. It was hard enough keeping herself alive, she hated trying to watch out for others at the same time.

The sun had been far to the west when she'd left the mine so she'd made her way up to the shrine of Azura. As dusk fell she'd placed the glow dust she'd purchased in Cheydinhal on the shrine. She'd asked Azura if there was anything the Daedric Prince wanted from her.

Apparently there was, though it was a task that made Lilia ponder if Daedric Princes shared the same twisted sense of humour as the Divines. Azura wished for her to enter Gutted Mine and kill five of her followers sealed inside. But the followers were vampires; infected when they defeated the terrible vampire ancient Dratik, and they had nobly sealed themselves inside the mine rather than pose a threat to anyone else.

Lilia considered her options. She could leave and let the vampires live trapped alone in a mine, most likely mad with blood lust. Azura could probably send some of her worshippers to do the task but they would most likely become infected or die. Or Lilia could enter and end the suffering of Azura's devoted followers as she had requested.

She decided to enter, drawing the fire-enchanted shortsword from its sheath. Stealth would do her no good. If the vampires were anything like herself they'd smell her coming, and would hear her armour clinking together as she moved about in shadows. Invisibility wouldn't help either; they'd be able to see her aura. She gave a quick prayer to Stendarr asking that the vampires fight back. If they welcomed death then she'd never be able to do it.

Her prayer was answered with a vengeance. Coming into a large chamber of the mine she found two female vampires - one armed with a bow, the other unarmed. Their appearance was jolting, reminding Lilia of what she could become if she didn't feed. The bones in their faces were so sharp they looked as though they could cut glass, their skin was ashen and wan, and their eyes were red. The unarmed one hissed at her, large fangs visible. She wasn't sure what they had been other than one of the races of men.

Ducking behind a post to avoid the archer's arrows she tossed a fireball at the unarmed one. Her dirt-coloured robe caught on fire, and soon her whole body was in flames. Lilia was shocked at just how much damage fire did to them. She peeked her head around the post and pulled it back just in time to feel an arrow whiz past. Not wanting to be pinned down she dove forward in a roll, tossing a fireball at the archer at the same time. She felt the solid whack of an arrow deflect off her cuirass. She stood up behind another post and again peeked out. The archer was nothing but a pile of ash.

A large figure was quickly approaching and Lilia moved forward to meet it. Judging by the height and build he had been a Nord in life. He was armed with a large steel claymore and wore old iron armour. As he whipped the claymore through the air Lilia brought her shortsword up to block it. The strength of the blow threw her off balance and she staggered backwards. She'd forgotten that the longer a vampire went without feeding the stronger and faster they became. These vampires hadn't fed in years. Moving back Lilia ducked as he swung at her neck. The claymore missed but slashed into a wooden post. The massive sword was stuck.

Lilia moved forward to attack and received a powerful blow to the head in response. The Nord had abandoned his weapon and was using his fists. The world seemed to spin a little, and Lilia realized that another iron fist was heading towards her. She managed to catch it with her hand, twisting her body to move her head out of the way. She let a stream of fire magic flow from her body to the vampire's and had to jump back as he burst into flame. His armour banged against itself as it fell to the floor. She cast a healing spell to clear her head and pressed forward into the mine. There were only two more to go.

The next vampire she found summoned a friend for help. A clannfear came running forward to attack Lilia. Slashing at it as she moved out of the way she was pleased to hear the reptilian deadra squeal in pain. A line of fire burned along its side, causing so much pain that the clannfear returned to the realm of Oblivion against the vampire conjurer's wishes. Taking advantage of the opportunity Lilia ran forward and stabbed him in the heart through his thin robe. She turned away as the ashes fell to the ground.

There was one more vampire left but she had trouble getting to him. There seemed to be nothing but solid stone between them. She couldn't find any door or opening. Walking along the wall for a third time she finally noticed a large rock suspended from the ceiling with a rope. Pulling on it a boulder rumbled into the floor revealing a passageway.

Deciding to go on the defensive instead Lilia called for the vampire to come out. When he did she was glad she hadn't gone to him. His green skin revealed him as an Orc. He was larger than the Nord had been and was clad entirely in steel armour that had tarnished to a dull grey. A massive dwarven warhammer was held in his hands. She didn't even have time to shoot off a fireball before she threw herself sideways, rolling away on the ground. He moved the powerful weapon quickly, bringing it down over and over again as she backed away from him as fast as she could down a narrow tunnel. As she sent out a stream of fire he moved out of its way, swinging the warhammer towards her extended right arm.

Sweet merciful Julianos! Pain exploded from her arm as it was crushed between the hammer and the wall. Reacting instinctively she sent a massive wave of fire into the Orc before she blacked out.

* * *

The pain woke her. She hadn't felt anything so concentrated in years. Lilia sent healing magic into her arm, but the pain only lessened slightly. Opening her eyes she took a look at her forearm. Her dwarven armour had been pinched, flattened by the powerful blow. Her arm would never feel better unless she got it off. Tugging and pushing at the armour threatened to send her back into unconsciousness. Seeing no other option she bathed her injured arm in the hottest flames she could summon. Holding it away from her body the dwarven metal melted off onto the ground.

An intense jolt of pain made her cry out as she quickly brought her left hand around to grab her right. The bones had been broken in so many places that she could no longer support the weight of her hand. Lilia again sent healing magic into her arm and the pain subsided. It took several more waves of restoration magic before she felt comfortable moving it. Pushing herself off the ground she seemed to move faster than she was used to. The dark snake in her mind woke up and was now screaming loudly for blood.

She grabbed hold of the dwarven warhammer and was surprised by how much lighter it felt than it looked. Making her way through the mine she found the entrance. It was daytime, and from the light of the sun that filtered in it seemed to be an exceptionally bright day. Heading towards the door she jumped back in surprise. Looking down she could see faint wisps of smoke coming from her boots.

Hesitantly she moved her tongue forward to touch her teeth. The fangs confirmed it. She had turned, or advanced, another stage of the disease when she'd been passed out. Rummaging through her bag she found the small mirror she carried. Yanking her helmet off she took a good look at herself and was not pleased with what she saw.

She looked like a famine victim, her skin taught against the bones of her skull. Fine wrinkles were everywhere; the forehead, eyes, mouth, and nose. Her eyes were red rimmed, and her irises a strange shade of pink-grey, glittering with an unnatural light. She looked old and very ill. She looked like a vampire.

Moving deeper into the mine Lilia waited for night to fall, pondering all the while about why the Gods had turned her into this.

* * *

A thin layer of snow coated the terraced streets of Bruma. Making her way towards the eastern end of the city Lilia again wondered what kind of a man Arch Mage Traven was, because she was forming a decidedly negative opinion of him.

She'd journeyed to Bruma after feeding on Aldos Othran in Cheydinhal, fighting off terrible memories the whole time. She'd been relieved to feel herself turn back into her much more human form immediately afterwards. She'd gone and slept on a mat in the basement of the Fighters Guild. The need to sleep had been overwhelming.

Azura had been pleased when she'd come back to the daedric shrine and had rewarded her with her token, Azura's Star. Lilia had admired it for several minutes, looking at the star shaped crystal that could be used to capture the life force of creatures over and over again. It was an artifact of immense power for those who knew how to use it, and Lilia had thanked Azura and the Gods for giving it to her.

It had been late morning by the time she'd presented herself to Jeanne Frasoric, the pale Breton guild hall leader of the Bruma chapter. Jeanne had been ever so kind and ingratiating, name dropping several important Mages Guild members as they chatted. Lilia had instantly disliked her. She recognized the character of a self-serving simpering suck up when she saw it. Nobility seemed to attract them like flies to manure, and Lilia had never figured out why they didn't see through the act.

Her opinion of Jeanne dropped even further when she'd been given her task. J'skar, the Khajiit destruction trainer, had gone missing and Jeanne was desperately worried that someone from the Arcane University might find out. She hadn't seemed concerned at all for his welfare. Promising to see what she could do Lilia had walked over to the stairs that led down to the living quarters and stopped dead in her tracks. An invisible Khajiit had been standing at the bottom.

After pulling him behind the door to the basement hallway Lilia had given him two options; either reappear of his own volition, or reappear with her method, which might or might not involve pain. J'skar had dropped his invisibility spell and had lamented at having a guild hall leader who couldn't even cast a simple detect life spell. Lilia had commiserated with him, and after a nice chat in which J'skar related some of the practical jokes that had been played on the untalented Breton, she'd reported back to Jeanne to ensure her recommendation would be sent in.

Pushing the door to the smith's shop open she couldn't figure out why anyone would appoint not only Dagail, who was at least powerful if not fully sane, to be a guild hall leader as well as Jeanne Frasoric, who couldn't cast her way out of a closet. Fjotreid the blacksmith interrupted her thoughts when he called out in greeting. The shop was very warm and very dark. A thin stream of sunlight filtered in through the shuttered windows, and the glowing coals of the fire sent out waves of heat.

"Welcome! What brings you to the Hammer and Axe? Looking for a new weapon?" The Nord's voice was deep and booming. His upper body was highly muscular. Lilia guessed that working with the heavy hammers and axes preferred by Nords would bulk anyone up.

"Actually, I was hoping you could do something with this." Lilia placed her dwarven cuirass on the counter. The right forearm had been left behind, melted to the floor of Gutted Mine. Fjotreid picked it up and examined it, and then looked at her in her assortment of armour, chest covered in chainmail.

"This had been made to fit you. How did you manage to melt off the right arm piece?" He was running his finger along the wavy edge of the metal.

"Does it matter?" She certainly didn't want to discuss it. Telling someone that she'd been off slaying noble vampires for a Daedric Prince would probably sound a bit strange.

"Not at all." He gave her a grin. "I don't have any spare dwarven armour, but I do have part of an ebony cuirass that should do the trick." He once more looked her up and down. "I'm guessing you won't mind that it doesn't match?"

"Not at all." She smiled back at him.

After haggling over the price of repairs and the sale of the dwarven warhammer Lilia stepped back out into the frigid street. Her cuirass wouldn't be ready until tomorrow and she had an entire evening to fill. After quick consideration she decided to head down to Olav's Tap and Tack and look up an old acquaintance. There was something she wanted to know.


	32. Chapter 32: The More Things Change

The main hall of Olav's Tap and Tack was starting to get crowded. Thirsty citizens, tired after a day's toil, were drifting in for food, drink, and companionship. Olav was greeting his customers, most of whom he saw on a daily basis. Stepping down the stairs from the private rooms Lilia saw the man she was looking for at a table tucked away in the corner. She smoothed out her felt tunic and made her way over to him. Even though it had been months he recognized her instantly.

"Lilanina!" Ongar the World-Weary hoisted his mug at her. She was amazed he'd gotten so close to her name. The last time they'd spoken he was so drunk he'd called her Lilibet, Ninia, Lissia, and Marta. She still wasn't sure where he'd come up with that last one. As she sat down he made the first part of the Thieves Guild greeting.

"Ongar, good to see you again." She didn't make the countersign and Ongar, who was much closer to sober this time, noticed. He made the sign again, a small frown creasing the Nord's face.

"What's the matter, forgotten what to do?" He placed his mug on the small wooden table between them. Lilia glanced around and leaned in towards him. There wasn't anybody close enough to overhear.

"No, I'm not sure I'm even supposed to do it anymore." Ongar threw back his head and laughed loudly, causing a dark haired woman sitting at the bar to shoot him a sharp glance. Lilia had noticed the woman when she'd checked into the inn. She'd been flirting heavily with Olav.

"Right. How could I forget about the rumours?" His voice was quiet now. "I heard you called the Gray Fox a mud crab fondling son of a guar. And that you'd said he could take his grey cowl and shove it straight up his..."

"Ongar." Lilia interrupted him. His voice was getting louder as he recounted the rumours. "He's not too mad, is he? I'm sure I'm expelled, but he's not trying to arrange for my accidental death or anything like that?"

The sandy haired Nord laughed again. "First off, he doesn't operate like that. Secondly, you're still a member in good standing."

Lilia was surprised to hear it. She wasn't sure she wanted to be. The Thieves Guild had been something she'd joined as she'd searched for a way into the Dark Brotherhood. Since both organizations operated against the laws of the land it had been a logical assumption that they would occassionally rub shoulders. She knew now that had certainly not been the case.

"Thirdly, Methredhel's been asking around about you. You've been missing for months." Ongar's words caused Lilia a small pang of guilt. She'd had no contact with anybody since she'd orchestrated the death of Captain Tussaud and his crew. She wondered if the porch of her ramshackle home had collapsed yet.

"How is she?" The Bosmer had been the first friend Lilia had made for purely social reasons in years.

"Very good. She's been promoted to Footpad already. Armand is very pleased with her." Lilia smiled. She was sure Ongar was more right than he realized. "I don't suppose you have anything for me?"

"Just a tankard of ale on the way." Lilia stood up and made her way to the bar. Glancing back she saw Ongar making short work of the one he already had. Olav was at the other end of the bar and she held up one finger to him. There wasn't much selection offered at the tavern. It was either one mug of ale or more than one mug of ale.

"Excuse me." The woman who had shot Ongar a dirty look was sitting beside Lilia. She wore her dark brown hair loose and was wearing a very tightly laced corset. Lilia tried not to stare. Well-endowed women were often said to be blessed by Dibella - if that was true then this woman must have earned the Goddess' highest favour. Her face was very attractive but her smile didn't extend to her brown eyes.

"I'm Arnora. I hope you can help me." She pulled a linen handkerchief from her ample cleavage and dabbed at her dry eyes. "I just don't know what to do!"

Intrigued, Lilia paid Olav and asked him to deliver the mug to Ongar with her excuses. She sat down beside the woman and listened to her tale.

* * *

Tyrellius Logellus stood in the courtyard of castle Bruma watching the massive pine doors intently. Jorundr's mystery visitor would be coming through them at any moment. He'd overheard most of their short conversation. Jorundr had accused Tyrellius of sending her and had told her to go away. But Tyrellius had no idea who she was or how she knew about the missing gold. She must be working with Arnora, that impatient witch.

The door opened and the red haired stranger stepped out into the moonlit courtyard. Arnora could have at least chosen someone a little less distinctive. Unless this was another one of her cunning plans. Tyrellius had warned her that they'd be the death of her one day. She'd better not be trying to find the gold without him.

Stepping forward he followed the visitor out through the castle gates and along the deserted upper level of the city. She stopped suddenly and turned to face him.

"Is there anything I can help you with?" She was looking at him curiously.

Glancing around he made sure that nobody was within sight before answering. "Just tell me why you went to see Jorundr."

She laughed. "Jorundr's my great aunt's third husband's second cousin once removed. On my father's side."

Tyrellius didn't bother trying to decipher her words. She was obviously lying. "I'll give you one more chance to tell my why you visited him."

"Very well. He's the Nerevarine and I'm Dagoth Ur, come to wreak my vengeance on him." She gave him a small bow. He was frustrated now. She obviously wouldn't co-operate, so he tried a different approach. He pulled out his longsword and pointed it at the unarmed and unarmoured woman. She arched an eyebrow at him in response.

"Trying to pickpocket a guard is a serious offence. I'm going to have to take you to jail."

"Yes, of course. A trip to jail. How fun." Her voice sounded weary as she mumbled towards the sky. She shrugged her shoulders in resignation and gestured with her arm for him to lead the way. Tyrellius was surprised at her calm. Most people got incredibly upset at the mention of prison time in the castle dungeons. This wasn't how it was supposed to go.

They didn't talk as he led her back through the castle and down into the dungeon. Standing in front of Ranus, the night jailor, Tyrellius ordered her to be booked.

"What's the charge?" Ranus had been doing this job for years. Not much surprised the Imperial anymore, but the arrest of a woman who had just visited a prisoner was highly unusual.

Pointing at the coin purse tied to his belt Tyrellius answered. "She attempted to pickpocket me."

"Is this true?" The jailor asked her, a departure from his normal routine. His face showed his astonishment. Nobody tried to pickpocket a city guardsman dressed in full uniform.

"If it was then I'd be a complete idiot, now wouldn't I?" Her words dripped with sarcasm as she rolled her eyes.

Ranus snorted in amusement at her attitude. Shaking his head he asked for her information and wrote it down in the prisoner log. Tyrellius learnt that her name was Lilia, and she had a home in the Imperial City. She gave her profession as alchemist. Ranus handed her the thin linen pants and short sleeved shirt that she was to wear as a prisoner.

"You want me to wear them now?" She asked. Before Ranus could stop her she pulled off her cloak and her hands went to her tunic. Suddenly Lilia went clear, her figure rippling as if she was made out of water - the results of a chameleon spell. Tyrellius felt a little nervous now. He'd arrested a mage on false charges. He didn't like mages. You never knew what they were going to do.

Lilia was visible again, dressed now in the ragged clothes. "Take care of those. I want them back in one piece." She indicated her pile of folded clothing on the desk.

"Shouldn't you take me to a cell now?" She asked Tyrellius.

Tyrellius didn't understand what was going on. Prisoners weren't supposed to tell him his job. He reached forward to grab her arm but quickly pulled his hand back when small magical flames rolled off of her skin. She had a small smile on her face.

"Don't touch. Completely unnecessary. Now will you unlock the door or should I?" Lilia had walked off towards the cellblock. A metal reinforced door prevented passage into the prison area. Tyrellius quickly moved in front of her to unlock it.

"You seem to be taking this well." He grumbled under his breath. This was not going according to plan.

"Why not? I'm getting dinner and my own private room for free." She was standing right behind him, waiting for him to open the door. He was sure she was rolling her eyes again.

Tyrellius stepped into the large central room of the prison. Metal barred cells lined three walls. A few tables and chairs sat in the middle of the room, removed from the cells to make them even more uncomfortable. The dungeon was the lowest level underground and was the coldest spot in the castle. The torches spaced around the room provided little heat or light, and Tyrellius could hear the squeaking of rodents from the corners of the room. All of the cells were empty except for one. Tyrellius had a sudden inspiration.

He led Lilia to Jorundr's cell and ordered the giant Nord to stand in the far corner. Jorundr looked very confused at the return of the woman he'd told to go piss up a pine tree. Unlocking the door Tyrellius waited for Lilia to enter before quickly slamming it shut.

"Little present for you Jorundr. She's all yours tonight. If you tell me where the gold is I'll make sure you always have plenty of company." He gave a lewd wink at the Nord.

Jorundr lunged forward, and Tyrellius had to jump back out of the reach of his long arms. He looked like he wanted to tear the guard limb from limb. Tyrellius made his way back out the reinforced door, the sound of Lilia's laughter burning his ears.

* * *

Lilia watched the corrupt fetcher retreat through the door, but as she'd expected he'd returned to press his ear against it. He'd eavesdropped on her last conversation as well. She truly hoped that he had lost his wits with greed. The Imperial had to be one of the most foolish men she'd ever met. Seeing Jorundr turning to talk to her she held a finger up to her lips and pointed at the main door. He nodded in understanding.

"Keep away from me, you filthy brute!" She spoke loudly and in the direction of the door. Lilia waved her hands towards herself, indicating for Jorundr to play along.

"You keep your distance witch!" He raised his eyebrows at her as he too spoke overly loud.

"Fine! This is my side. You stay on yours and we won't have a problem." She again put her fingers to her lips. Jorundr watched her as she stared at the door. After several minutes Tyrellius gave up on eavesdropping and left. There wasn't much point in listening when no one was speaking. She signed to Jorundr to indicate they were now alone.

Lilia waited for Jorundr to speak first. She couldn't blame him for not trusting anyone. He'd been betrayed by his woman and was guarded by a devious idiot. He was tall for a Nord, and clad only in a short pair of stained pants. His body was composed entirely of massive muscles. His long brown hair lay limp against his head. Lilia suspected it had been a while since he'd been able to properly bathe.

"I guess you aren't working for Tyrellius after all. He's too stupid to pretend you're a prisoner. What did you do to end up here?" Jorundr's voice was still wary.

"I wouldn't answer his questions about you so he arrested me falsely for attempted pick pocketing. Of himself, dressed in his uniform, Bruma shield on his arm." As she spoke she started juggling a small leather pouch.

"And you say you're innocent?" Jorundr was following the path of the coin purse as it traveled through the air.

"Well, I was when he arrested me. Stupid fetcher. Besides, I'm not keeping it." With that she floated it across the room into an empty cell. She wondered just how long it would take Tyrellius to find it again. Jorundr was looking at her with a small smile. The loud rumbling of his stomach broke the silence.

"I heard what you said about dinner. They don't serve it, so you're not getting any." His face was downcast.

"Thanks for letting me know. I think I'll be okay." She gave him a sympathetic smile. "If you could have dinner, what would you like to eat?" Lilia asked.

"Easy. It's one of the things I find myself thinking about. I'd want a hunk of venison, a baked potato, a warm loaf of bread, a cold mug of ale, and some strawberries." He shook his head as he spoke. "But I don't think I'll ever have a meal like that again."

Lilia took off her shoes and moved over the dirty flagstones to the cell door. She unlocked it with magic and exited, closing it behind her. She turned around to see the shocked Nord staring back at her.

"Stay there. I'm going to go see about dinner." She unlocked the reinforced door and made herself invisible before moving through the hallway. She smiled at the sight of Ranus, snoring quietly face down on the desk. It was a rare night jailor that could keep himself awake. The job was necessary but incredibly boring.

Running as quickly and quietly as she could she made her way to the kitchen, lured by the scent of food. The servants had already retired for the night so she didn't worry too much about opening cupboard doors and lifting barrel lids. Finding everything she was looking for she ran back down to the dungeon. As the reinforced door closed and locked behind her she cast a magical lock on it, so they wouldn't be easily interrupted. Becoming visible once more she moved towards one of the larger tables in the central room and put down the items in her arms. Going back to Jorundr's cell she unlocked the door and invited him to join her. As they sat at the table Jorundr looked over the food she'd brought. Everything except the bread was raw.

"Thanks for trying, but I can't eat this." He gave her a weak smile.

"Just give me one minute." She put a plate in front of him and held up the venison steak. "How well-cooked would you like it?"

Jorundr snorted in amusement. She suspected he thought her mad. "I like it pink inside."

Lilia sent a wave of magical fire over the raw meat. Satisfied that it had been cooked properly she set it on his plate and picked up the potato. Again drawing on the magic of Aetherius she continued to cook dinner. Venison, potato, and bread prepared she grabbed a bottle of ale and coated it in a layer of frost magic. Setting that down in front of him she saw Jorundr looking at her in amazement.

"I'm not going to do anything to the strawberries. You'll just have to eat them lukewarm. Enjoy." She watched as the Nord made short work of every single scrap of food on the table. Leaning back in his chair, bottle of ale in hand, he gave her a huge smile.

"I think that's the first time I've felt full in weeks. Thank you."

"You're more than welcome. I haven't cooked dinner for…well, I haven't cooked dinner in a long time." She smiled at him and settled back in her chair.

"I suppose you want me to tell you about the gold now, don't you?" Jorundr asked. Lilia had to admit, he was a savvy man.

"I could care less about a missing tax shipment. What I want you to tell me is why a good man like yourself is locked up here when a murdering harpy like Arnora is wandering free in the streets." As Jorundr told Lilia his sad tale she found herself growing increasingly angry. Perhaps she would have to figure out a way to unleash some righteous justice of her own. 


	33. Chapter 33: Curses

Wishing that he didn't have to get up Carius Runellius rolled himself out of his bed in the cramped barracks of Castle Bruma. While he enjoyed his work keeping the streets safe for the town's citizens he often wished that his shifts didn't start so early. Rising he donned his uniform and grabbed a quick breakfast, deciding to skip shaving. The water in the basin was so cold he avoided it whenever he could. He often wished that the Legion didn't have restrictions on facial hair. A thick beard would be excellent insulation against the icy winds that tore through Bruma.

He greeted Ranus, who was sitting at the table in the middle of the room eating an apple after just having finished his night shift. As he always did Carius read through the new logbook and prison records before beginning his rounds. It was hard to solve crimes if you didn't know they had happened. He was surprised to see that an alchemist named Lilia had been arrested for attempted pickpocketing. Looking at the complainant Carius had to stifle an oath. If Tyrellius was involved then chances were there was far more to this story than what appeared on parchment.

"Yeah, he brought her in last night. Said she'd tried to pickpocket him. She didn't seem that stupid to me, but what do I know? I'm just supposed to write it down, not investigate it." Ranus was answering Carius' questions about the prisoner. "Oh, and she's a witch. Turned herself into water right in front of my eyes."

"Flaming Akatosh on a stick!" Carius didn't bother holding it in this time. The last thing he needed was an upset mage to soothe. His mood already black he made his way down to the dungeon. Unlocking the door he stepped inside, glancing quickly around to see where she'd been put for the night.

"Flaming Akatosh on a stick!" That stupid bastard had put her in with Jorundr! Carius hesitated briefly as he considered whether or not he should get Captain Burd. He wasn't sure he could handle an upset mage who'd been forced to share a cell with a convicted murderer so early in the morning.

"Flaming Akatosh on a stick?" Lilia queried, looking rather amused at his comments. Jorundr was standing beside her at the barred door laughing loudly. At least she hadn't turned the Nord into a goat overnight.

"Good morning Miss, uh, Lilia." She hadn't given a last name, and looking at her he couldn't tell if she was mer or man. "Let's get you out of there."

Jorundr stepped into the far corner without being told and Carius unlocked the door and held it open for her. She turned back to the Nord.

"Take care Jorundr. Remember to practice."

"Will do Lilia. You take care of yourself and come visit me soon." The large Nord gave her a wave.

Turning to Carius Lilia gave him a questioning look. Realizing that she still considered herself a prisoner he quickly led her out of the cell block and up to the jailor's desk. He wasn't too sure what to say now. She seemed rather calm and he didn't want to upset her. Mages tended to be rather frightening when angered.

"Am I still under arrest?" Lilia broke the silence first.

"No, of course not."

"Good. Then where are my clothes?" With a start Carius remembered that she must not have been walking the streets of Bruma dressed in prison rags. It was far too early in the morning for this. Unlocking the evidence chest he found a folded bundle of brown felt and a blue cloak. Handing it to her she put it on the desk and then moved to pull off her shirt.

"You don't need to do that here. There's a changing room right through there."

"I'm glad no one told me." She said dryly as she moved past him. Carius was going to murder Tyrellius. Maybe he could get the alchemist to do it - if she was innocent as he suspected then she had more than ample reasons to be furious enough to kill.

Coming back out of the room she was dressed far more warmly. Lilia tossed the prisoner garb idly onto the floor. She looked more annoyed than angry.

"Am I to be brought before the Countess?" She asked a good question. Even if she had attempted to pickpocket a city guard the fine would be one night's stay in the dungeons, which is what she'd already done.

"No. In fact, I'll take your name off of the prison records." Regardless of whether she was guilty or not she'd already served her time. Since she wouldn't be brought before the Countess her name would have been deleted anyway. Carius hoped that removing her name from the prison roster would mollify her. He had some questions he wanted to ask.

"Thanks." She started walking away. Hurrying to catch up Carius fell into step with her. He was surprised by how quickly she walked. They were now in the large entrance hall of the castle. Yellow banners decorated with the black eagle motif of Bruma hung from the high ceiling. Or was it a dragon? Carius had been told both by several different people.

"Miss Lilia…"

"Madame." She interrupted him brusquely.

"Sorry. Madame Lilia…"

She stopped suddenly and whirled to face him. "Just madame, ma'am also will work if madame is too complicated for you. You haven't given me your name, how dare you think you can so familiarly use mine?" Without waiting for a reply she stormed off.

As he hurried after her Carius rued that she seemed to be getting angrier as she left the dungeons behind. For most people the reaction was the complete opposite. Following her out the door they emerged into the castle courtyard. Soft fat flakes of snow drifted down lazily from the overcast sky. The first rays of the sun were feebly lighting the world. Stepping in front of her to block her path Carius quickly spoke.

"I'm Carius Runellius of the City Watch." Her eyes were narrowed in displeasure, but she didn't walk off. Carius lowered his voice and continued. "Madame, I'm sorry about what happened to you. Having to share a cell…"

Her sudden bark of laughter interrupted him. She was striding out of the courtyard, but she was talking to him. "Why would I complain about the hospitality of Bruma? Staying at a private room that you've already paid for in a warm inn is a highly overrated experience." Her words were harsh.

She stalked along the walkway of the upper tier of the city. Noticing that he was still following her she stopped and gave him a stare of intense displeasure. The vitriol of her words surprised him.

"And what do you want, Carius? Want to steal my coin purse? Confiscate my weapons? Rough me up a little? Or would you rather I just strip naked here in the streets?"

Judging by the bitterness of her tone Carius suspected that she'd run into the wrong side of the Legion before. He couldn't stand corrupt guards and had been happy to find a distinct lack of them in Bruma. Except for Tyrellius, but Carius had never been able to pin anything on him. The man may be an idiot but he was slick. Carius spoke softly in reply. "No. Actually, I'd like to pay for your room. To make it up to you."

Her eyes widened in surprise. Her posture relaxed and she studied the man before her with a frown on her face.

"That's really not necessary." Her frown softened. "But what do you want with me?"

"I want you to help me nail Tyrellius." Her sharp laughter surprised him.

"Oh, that's rich. The incompetent guards want me to help them clean up their own mess." She was giving him a disdainful look, and Carius found himself getting angry in response to her insults.

"Incompetent? Lady, I'll have you know that Bruma's guards are among the best in the Empire!" His voice had increased in volume.

"Yes, I'm sure they are." A scornful sneer was on her face, and she turned to walk away again. Grabbing her arm Carius tugged her back to face him. He wasn't going to let her stalk off again.

"What's your problem? I know Tyrellius is a corrupt fetcher, and I want to fix it."

She shook off his hand and gave him such an intensely icy glare he shivered involuntarily. Her words were much louder when she spoke.

"Tyrellius! You think that's the problem? That's the reason you're all incompetent? You want to know what my problem is?" Carius wasn't sure if he did. She was getting very angry. But she continued before he could interject. "My problem is that a man has been condemned to rot underground for the rest of his miserable life for a crime he did not commit."

Carius frowned. Obviously the Nord had fooled this woman. "Jorundr is guilty. The evidence…"

"The evidence!" She spat out, interrupting him. "What evidence? You didn't find the murder weapon that was used to kill the Legion soldier who was guarding the tax shipment. You didn't talk to the other soldier who saw what happened. The only people who gave testimony against him were Arnora and Tyrellius! The corrupt guard who 'saved' Arnora and headed up the investigation! Jorundr was blatantly framed and nobody noticed. I call that incompetence of the worst kind!"

Her words gave him pause. He'd been leading a patrol to track down a group of bandits in the mountains to the east when the robbery of the Imperial tax shipment had happened. One of the soldiers guarding it had been killed during the theft. By the time he'd returned Countess Carvain had already pronounced sentence. The fact that Tyrellius had done such a seemingly good job on the investigation, apprehension, and conviction of the murderer had made him suspicious. The man was such an idiot something hadn't added up.

"Do you have any proof?" He was wondering if Jorundr had told her anything new last night. She snorted and rolled her eyes in response.

"Other than the fact that the murderess is wearing the missing dagger on her waist? Or did her ample cleavage blind your stunning powers of observation?"

"Gah!" Carius let a loud cry of frustration out upon the wooden houses ranged below them. He'd spent two days leading a team of guards as they searched through the rocks and bushes north of the city looking for the weapon and the missing gold. The dagger was very distinctive. It had two sharp points that stuck up on either side of the guard running forward beside the blade. The stab wound on the dead soldier had shown them that - one large gash with a smaller puncture mark on either side of it.

"I much preferred flaming Akatosh on a stick but gah works too." Lilia had a smug smile on her face. "So now what Carius Runellius of the City Watch? How do we fix this?"

Her question helped him to focus. There was a way to make things right. At least he knew where to start. "Let's go have a chat with the lovely Arnora. If you're right," she shot him a sharp look, "then we'll bring her before the Countess."

He led the way to Arnora's house that was tucked against the west wall behind the Chapel of Talos. When they got closer he felt Lilia grab his arm, pulling him to a stop. She pointed down at the ground. Small patches of red were leading to Arnora's front door growing in size as they got closer to the wooden house. Carius drew his longsword and made his way along the trail, careful not to step in the tracks. If what he suspected was true then he'd need to be able to follow them later. He glanced back at his companion and regretted that she had no weapon and no more protection than some thick fabric against her skin.

He stood at the door and knocked loudly, calling for Arnora to answer. After repeating his summons again he tried the handle. It was unlocked and he stepped into the main room.

"Mara mother of mercy." Lilia's whisper surprised him. She moved forward towards the dead body of Arnora, lying face down on the floor in a pool of her own blood. The red stains on the carpet showed that the murderer had stepped in it and had trailed it out into the streets. Before he could stop her Lilia had turned the body on its side and was studying it.

"Longsword. Stabbed in the back. She probably bled to death before she could do anything about it." She pointed at him and he was startled to feel his silver longsword fly out of his hand. His grip had relaxed when he'd realized there was no immediate threat here. Lilia grabbed it with her left hand and rolled Arnora face down again. As she held the blade above the wound he could see that they were the same width. The swords the guards carried were specially made for them by Fjotreid the blacksmith and were thicker than a traditional longsword.

"Tyrellius." Carius muttered the name darkly. "Is her dagger there?"

"Yes. He wouldn't be smart enough to take it, would he?" Lilia pulled the weapon out of its sheath. Looking at it Carius realized that it was exactly what he and his men had been searching for. A sharp blade of steel had a small spike running parallel on either side of it. He frowned at it. He still wasn't sure what purpose the spikes served. They were too small and short to do any damage.

Lilia seemed to notice his confusion. She came over to him, stepping carefully, and held the dagger in front of him as she gave him back his sword. "It's from High Rock. These little spikes detach." She pushed at the base of one, twisting it off, and held it carefully by the small chunk of metal that had been a part of the dagger's guard. "They're frequently carried by the nobility. The spikes can be coated in poison and easily concealed on the body, while the dagger itself is still useful as a weapon. Nasty piece of work."

Carius wasn't sure if she was referring to the weapon or Arnora. Regardless, there was nothing more they could do here.

"Come on, let's go before the trail grows cold." He motioned for her to follow him.

Stepping back outside Carius tracked the bloody prints as they faded away into the street. The snow had continued to fall, covering them, and he lost the trail. Turning around to try again Lilia called out to him.

"This way. Hurry." She was moving towards the east gate. Carius didn't know what she was following but he decided to go with her. She may not be the nicest woman he'd ever met but she did seem to have an idea of what she was doing. Her knowledge of weapons was rather remarkable for an alchemist. He briefly wondered if she had a cold; she seemed to be sniffing constantly.

The east gates hadn't yet been opened for the day. Stopping in front of them Lilia turned to Carius. "I want revenge on Tyrellius just as much as you do but we can't forget about Jorundr. I know he's guilty of thievery but he doesn't deserve his current fate. Now I'd like to cast a spell on you so I'm asking for your permission to do so."

Startled he nodded his head in agreement. She was far more polite than most mages, at least in one respect. He felt a chill settle over him and looked down. His feet were missing. He was invisible.

"Here, take this. Now don't do anything too sudden or I'll be unable to maintain the spell. And try not to talk." She pressed the dagger into his hand and moved to open the gate. The guards must have left to go get their replacements and it was currently unguarded. Carius was going to have to report this to Captain Burd. Pushing it open she left the town and broke out into a run. Carius tried to keep pace but she moved faster than him. Doubts started to form in his mind. What if she was using him? If she was going to find Tyrellius she should at least have kept the dagger. She had no other weapon that he knew of.

She stopped suddenly and turned to look back at Carius. She held her finger to her lips as he approached. Looking ahead he saw the familiar sight of the uniform of the Bruma guard. Tyrellius was walking towards her, silver longsword at the ready. Carius could see traces of blood on the handle.

"So you managed to find me? Arnora was too clever for her own good. Trying to use you to get the gold for herself. We had a deal, an even split. Looks like my share got bigger."

"You're a fool Tyrellius. Even though you killed her you still don't know where the gold is." Lilia was speaking calmly and had started stepping to the side. The two were circling each other.

"Just a matter of time before Jorundr cracks. He's not going anywhere for a long time." Tyrellius lunged forward, stabbing out at Lilia with his sword. Carius could suddenly see himself again as he quickly pulled his own sword from its sheath and moved to aid her. He dodged out of the way as Tyrellius was thrown backwards past him landing heavily against a boulder. Lilia had her arm outstretched and she looked very angry indeed.

"Telekinesis. Rather useful spell." She whispered as she moved past him. Tyrellius was shaking his head groggily as he struggled to sit up. As Lilia waved her arms Carius saw small lines of fire start creeping along the ground towards the corrupt guard.

"I give you two options. The first is to go back to town and confess everything. You'll be locked away, but you'll be alive. Probably." Her voice was cold as she spoke. Tyrellius focused on her, eyes squinting in hatred.

"And why would I do that?" He spat at her.

"Because the second option is that you stay here with me." With a flick of her hands the flames sprang high up out of the ground, and Lilia herself was coated in an aura of fire. Tyrellius' brown eyes widened in fear at her next words. "And I am not happy, and I am not merciful. I can heal you just as easily as I can hurt you, and I promise it will not be quick." The flames danced closer towards Tyrellius as she brought her hands towards him.

Carius was grateful that she hadn't vented her anger at him in a similar fashion. Mages were positively terrifying when angry. Tyrellius started begging for mercy before the fire even touched him. Lilia pulled his sword away from him with the same telekinesis spell she'd used on Carius, but this time she kept it suspended in front of her, pointed at Tyrellius.

"Get up and get moving. Don't even think about fleeing. There's no way you could outrun this." She indicated the floating sword in front of her. As Tyrellius started trudging back to Bruma she called out again. "And don't think about lying to the Countess. If you do just remember that I'll be waiting for you."

Returning to the castle they waited in the throne room for the Countess to join them. Carius sent a guard to fetch Jorundr and Tyrellius was put in irons. Once Countess Carvain was settled Carius proceeded to tell her the whole tale. Her expression grew sour as she listened, and when Tyrellius confirmed it to be true she looked as though she'd just bitten into a rotten kwama egg. As she always did before pronouncing sentence she asked if there was anyone who wished to plead leniency for the guilty.

Jorundr shocked everyone when he spoke on Tyrellius' behalf. He pointed out that enough people had been killed over the matter. He thought it would be senseless to add another death to the list even though Tyrellius deserved it. Narina Carvain thanked him and sentenced Tyrellius to a lifetime sentence of incarceration in the Imperial City prison. Carius was surprised at the choice. To him it seemed even worse than execution. The tales of the Imperial City dungeons were frighteningly cruel. Guards led Tyrellius out of the Countess' presence.

Addressing the matter of Jorundr's guilt and innocence the Nord again surprised everyone when he made a full confession. He admitted to following along with Arnora's plan to rob the tax shipment, but he'd never intended for anyone to get hurt. He had grown suspicious after Arnora suddenly needed to look for supplies after murdering a soldier in cold blood and had hidden the gold in a different spot. He told the Countess exactly where it was located. He also asked that she sell his house, the one that Arnora had claimed for her own, and to send the proceeds to the family of the murdered guard.

Narina was smiling softly when she spoke. She praised Jorundr for his honesty and repentance. She shortened his sentence to a term of six months, two of which he had already served. The giant Nord had tears of gratitude in his eyes as he grabbed Lilia and spun her around in an enthusiastic hug. As he headed back to the dungeon he was calling for all of the blessings of the Gods on the merciful Countess' head. For a brief instant Carius thought that the Countess' eyes looked moist but he quickly dismissed the notion. Narina was renowned for her icy heart.

As the guards who had watched the proceedings filtered away he saw Lilia approach the Countess and have a brief discussion. He was disappointed to catch the word 'reward' coming from Lilia's lips. He'd hoped that she had a kind side to her that he just couldn't see but he reconsidered that opinion.

Dismissed by Countess Carvain Lilia approached him. She extended her right hand to him and had a bemused expression on her face when he hesitated to grab it.

"Carius Runellius of the City Watch, I owe you an apology. Bruma's guards are indeed among the best of the Empire. In fact, I don't think I've ever seen better." Lilia gave him a warm smile as she shook his hand.

"Madame, it has been an unforgettable experience. I hope your stay in Bruma wasn't too eventful." He smiled back.

"Please, call me Lilia." Her tone was the friendliest he'd ever heard from her. "Take care of yourself Guard Runellius." Releasing his hand she walked towards the castle doors.

"Carius." He called out after her. "I hope you'll return and visit someday." She turned back to face him.

"Carius, don't worry, you'll be seeing a lot of me." Lilia gave him a cheerful wink and made her way out into the snowy day. Watching her go Carrius pondered her words. Part of him considered it a bit of a threat, but part of him hoped it true. Either way, she was the strangest alchemist he'd ever met. 


	34. Chapter 34: Slumber Party

The branches of the mighty oak of Chorrol swayed back and forth in the gusts of wind. Every move sent a group of amber leaves streaming into the air, like sparks off a fire. The buffeting winds pushed up against the guild hall, and Lilia was glad she was indoors.

Having already checked that all the entrances were locked she stood on the second floor of the guild, eyeing the beds and trying to decide where to sleep. The Chorrol Fighters Guild was rather unusual in that most of its members had their own homes in town. When she'd entered the hall she'd bumped into the porter, who had been about to lock the doors for the night. He'd told her that all of the other members that slept at the hall were out on assignments and that she had the place to herself before wishing her a good night and exiting the guild.

She chose the bed in the corner and moved towards it. Lilia was looking forward to a good night's sleep. Last night she'd stayed up the whole time with Jorundr. She'd meant it when she'd called him a good man. In the beginning he'd wished for Arnora's death several times, but Lilia had been thinking the same thoughts, so she couldn't really fault him for it. But as they'd talked she'd come to the conclusion that he had a good heart, he just had fallen into the wrong set of circumstances. He was swift but uneducated and Lilia hoped to change that. She could easily see him as a Fighters Guild member or town guard after his release. In fact, despite his thieving past, she thought he would make a wonderful guard. Most of the ones she'd been meeting lately were far worse.

Pulling out her night clothes she frowned as she thought of Carius. Lilia had been rather nasty to him but she'd thought he was working with Tyrellius. It wasn't until he agreed to go talk to Arnora that she understood he was one of the good guys. She knew that she'd also frightened him when she'd confronted Tyrellius. Remembering her words her frown deepened. The dark part of her, the part she pictured as a coal black serpent with glowing red eyes, had enjoyed watching the corrupt guard plead for mercy, had delighted in his terror. Even though her magic had been more for show than for damage she still remembered how her mind had hissed for her to push the flames even closer to the wretched guard.

Standing on one leg to pull up her loose silk pants she lost her balance and fell onto the bed. She'd fed on a drunken beggar who was asleep on a bedroll behind a group of rocks before she'd come to the hall and she was unsteady with weariness. Shaking her head she sat up and tried again. Looking towards the far wall she thought of her experiences at the Mages Guild next door. Teekeus, an Argonian with remarkably vibrant green scales around his eyes, had tasked her with convincing a former Mages Guild member to leave town. He'd told her a story filled with holes about some trouble at the Arcane University that had resulted in Earana's expulsion.

Speaking with Earana she'd been pleased to hear that if she retrieved a book from a nearby mountain, Cloud Top, then Earana would happily leave. Not wanting to waste any time Lilia had jogged all the way there. She was still learning about the strange strengths and weaknesses that being a vampire conferred, so she occasionally did things like that to test her fatigue or endurance. By the time she'd reached the top her leg muscles had been burning with exhaustion.

A broken pillar that pulsed with powerful magic had been at Cloud Top and Lilia had kept her distance from it as she'd searched for the book. She'd discovered it on a charred corpse that was lying too close for comfort next to the pillar. It had taken her a lot longer to return to town but she'd found Earana waiting for her at the Gray Mare Inn. The High Elf had been overjoyed with the book, causing Lilia to wonder why she hadn't just gone and gotten it herself. Returning to the guild she'd found Teekeus relaxing after dinner in the sumptuous library on the second floor. He'd become very upset when Lilia had told him what she'd done and had all but ordered her to steal the book back. Angered by his demands she'd told him that she would do no such thing and that if he held back her recommendation she'd have no choice but to go complain to the University itself. The speed at which he had capitulated made her again suspect that he hadn't been entirely innocent in the strange circumstances that had resulted in Earana's expulsion.

Questioning the wisdom of the Arch Mage once more she pulled on her silk shirt. She found the fabric the most comfortable to sleep in. She still had trouble with wool - it itched terribly the entire time she wore it. With a quick puff of breath Lilia blew out the candlestick beside her bed and settled in for some much needed sleep.

* * *

She was standing on a large cobblestone plateau. Skeletons were lying scattered around her on the ground. Looking up with horror she saw a figure coming towards her. It was in the shape of a man, but it was twice as big. It appeared as if it had been assembled from various bits and pieces of other undead monsters. Instead of hands it had two different weapons attached to its arms - a knife almost as long as herself and a giant mace. She tried moving backwards but tripped on a skeleton. Bony fingers held her down as the creature approached, his massive mace held high above him. She screamed as he brought it down towards her.

* * *

She was still screaming when she opened her eyes to find a strange Dark Elf bending over her. Without thinking she pushed him away and stood up on the bed, backing into the corner. Luckily for the mer he landed on the next bed over and he quickly turned to face her, eyeing her warily.

Looking at him Lilia noticed his large black Mohawk, his aged appearance, and his agile recovery. She realized she had just tossed Modryn Oreyn, second in command of the Fighters Guild, bodily across the room.

"Flaming Akatosh on a stick!" The exclamation escaped her lips.

On hearing that Modryn's lips curled up in a smile, and his red eyes glittered with devilish merriment. Lilia recognized that look. She'd seen it countless times in the past. So when he lunged forward, bringing a steel mace towards her, she was ready. Leaping past him she rolled onto the floor and popped up, turning to watch him. His mace had landed harmlessly against her pillow. As he moved forward towards her, swinging the mace easily from side to side, she could see him grinning with pleasure.

Fighters of all kind were a strange breed indeed. Lilia had often wondered at the things they considered fun. When they weren't off slaying monsters or each other they'd train constantly to keep in shape. Part of the training was sparring, and sometimes the sparring matches would get a bit silly. The fighters were never trying to kill each other but they weren't tickling each other either. After they'd pummeled one another into submission they'd go to the Temple, get healed, and then head out for a night of drinking at the local tavern. Lilia hadn't had a sparring match for fun in ages so she happily played along.

He arced the mace towards her chest and she ducked down and tapped him on his steel clad leg as she moved around him. She had to jump backwards to get away from the mace that he'd continued swinging as he'd turned to face her. Lilia could tell that he was deliberately holding back, which was fine with her. Even at his slower speed the mace would still hurt terribly if it connected. As Modryn brought it down towards her again she rolled sideways and jumped back up. It quickly became a game between them. He would swing the mace and she would roll, leap, duck, or flip out of the way. Every now and again she would tap him lightly on his armour to tease and encourage him. Modryn had managed to herd her up the stairs, and she found herself on an upper platform that served as the Fighters Guild Master's office. The sloped plaster walls were also the ceiling, meeting at a point overhead. The only way back was either down the stairs or over the low railing beside them.

Modryn was wearing a huge grin. He thought she was cornered. Standing with her back to the far wall he again brought his mace towards her. Lilia dove into a roll under it, and finding herself behind him she playfully punched him in the butt as she stood up. Somewhat affronted at her actions he swung the mace much faster this time as he turned. She dodged to the side in surprise to avoid it. But Modryn hadn't realized how close he was to the railing, and his mace connected with a rack of swords, sending one of them toppling over the edge.

"MODRYN!" An angry female voice bellowed out from below them. Both Lilia and Modryn peeked over the railing. A white haired woman dressed in heavy armour was looking up, her face full of annoyance. The sword had fallen a foot in front of her, point down, and it was now stuck standing up in the wooden floor. Unless the Fighters Guild had the most remarkable cleaning lady she'd ever seen Lilia assumed that the woman must be Vilena Donton, the Master of the guild.

Modryn shot Lilia a quick glance and whispered at her. "Flaming Akatosh on a stick indeed." At that she had a sudden burst of giggles that she tried desperately to pass off as a coughing fit. Modryn greeted Vilena warmly and headed down the stairs to intercept her. Lilia also slunk down the central staircase but decided to go around the other side. Vilena had pulled the sword from the floor and was waving it as she spoke. Leaving Modryn to fend for himself she crept down to the main floor and sat at the large round dining table. A few minutes later light steps coming down the stairs made her look up. Modryn moved quietly in his steel armour. He grabbed a chair beside her and sat down.

"You must be Lilia." Seeing her startled expression he continued. "I've read the reports about you. Well, that and the fact that you're the first new female boot we've had in months. I'm Modryn Oreyn, Champion of the Fighters Guild."

"Pleased to meet you." She nodded at him.

"Is it normally a habit of yours to greet people by tossing them around the room?" He was smiling, and Lilia could tell he had no hard feelings about what had happened.

"No. Is it normally a habit of yours to lurk around the beds of sleeping females?" She resisted the impulse to stick her tongue out at him. She hadn't felt so delightfully childish in years.

He laughed at the question. "You're lucky it was me that woke you. Vilena would not have been so amused. Speaking of which, I'd suggest that you might want to go stay at a different town for a few days. She's a little miffed that you almost killed her when you knocked over that sword." His lips twitched as he tried not to smile too much.

"You said I knocked it over?" She let out a large sigh. "So, have I broken the record for shortest lived Fighters Guild career ever?"

Modryn laughed at her question. "Not at all Journeyman." Seeing her curious look he continued. "If you'd bothered to talk to Burz and receive your earnings you would have learnt that you'd earned a promotion. Congratulations."

Lilia was surprised to hear it. She'd already been promoted to Apprentice after completing her first task for Azzan, but that was standard guild practice. Until a fighter had completed one assignment they were on a probationary period. But she hadn't expected to receive another promotion so soon. Back in Cheydinhal she hadn't been in the mood to again speak with the uncouth Orc, so she'd snuck in to sleep in the basement and had then snuck out the next morning.

Looking up at the ceiling she could see the figure of Vilena Donton seated in her office. If Lilia went now she could avoid the displeased Master.

"Thanks for the promotion and thanks for the advice. I think I'll head out after I grab my things." She told Modryn as she left the table.

Moving as quickly and quietly as she could Lilia stole back up to the deserted second floor. She hurriedly dressed and strapped on her armour. Moving just as quickly, if a little noisier, she made her way back to the first floor. Standing at the bottom of the staircase she eyed Modryn as he was desperately trying to fake a coughing fit to mask his laughter.

"What are you wearing?" He asked once he'd calmed down. "And what happened to your cuirass?"

Lilia held out her right arm and looked down at the ebony guard Fjotried had attached. The Nord had done an excellent job of joining it to the dwarven cuirass and she was pleased with the results. It had taken a bit of practice to get used to the slightly increased weight on her right arm but she didn't notice it much now. However, it certainly did nothing to make her appearance more intimidating. Looking back at Modryn she grinned broadly as she answered.

"Mud crabs. Damn things cut my whole arm off. I had to hold off a swarm of them as I re-grew my bones." Telling tall tales was another favourite pastime of fighters, though they most often were trying to pretend they'd actually done what they were boasting about.

Modryn laughed loudly at her reply and Lilia glanced back up to the ceiling. She didn't want Vilena to come down and investigate the noise. Fortunately the Imperial didn't seem interested.

"Mud crabs. Terrible creatures. I saw one once on the coast of Vvardenfell that was as big as a bear and twice as mean." Lilia knew that Modryn was teasing her. She adjusted the straps on her shoulders and gave him a friendly smile.

"Well, I'm off. Take care of yourself Champion Oreyn." She turned to walk to the front door but stopped when she heard Modryn ask a question.

"Where are you headed?"

"Skingrad. I have some business there." Modryn was studying her. Lilia was used to being stared at, laughed at, glared at, and studied. It had been hard enough being the daughter of a diplomat. Any time they'd arrived in a new town everyone from the beggars to the nobility had watched her, trying to decipher her father's business through her actions. It hadn't helped any being of mixed blood with such strangely coloured hair. She rarely got offended anymore. She just wished that people were more discreet.

"Skingrad, eh? Perhaps you have more business there than you think."


	35. Chapter 35: Good Help is Hard to Find

The brown leaves of the morning glory vine were flattened against the rough wooden door, held there by the steady pellets of icy rain that swept in from the west. It was already the last week of Frostfall and soon it would be so cold only ice and snow would fall from the sky. Lilia stood in front of Bleak Flats cave and frowned at the door.

Skingrad was a fascinating city, built up on two large hills. Stone bridges connected the two halves of the city and a footpath ran through the town underneath them. Lilia hadn't had much of an opportunity to explore the town though. Modryn had given her a job back in Chorrol. A new recruit, Maglir, had failed to return from his first assignment. Modryn had been very upset by this and had ordered Lilia to go find the Bosmer and talk to him. Reports from the Skingrad guild hall had placed him at the West Weald Inn, so she'd gone straight there.

She'd felt a bit sorry for the Wood Elf at first. As he described the creatures that were rumoured to inhabit Fallen Rock cave she'd understood his reluctance to go in alone to retrieve the journal of Brenus Astis. But he'd refused to go with her to complete the task, and had given her a bunch of obvious lies about the importance of staying out of danger to protect his family. Unless he was a remarkable mer indeed Lilia doubted that he had as many kids as he'd claimed during the course of the conversation. He'd kept mixing up the names and when she'd asked about it he'd just told her that it was another daughter or son. By Lilia's count he had fathered 22 children by the time she'd left the inn.

She'd made her way to the Mages Guild down the street and had found it difficult to curb her tongue when she'd received her task from Adrienne Berene. The guild hall leader had ordered one of her mages to go live in a cave outside of the city and he hadn't been into town for over a week. Lilia had been incensed when the Breton couldn't even remember which cave she'd exiled Erthor to. As she'd made inquiries to the much more concerned and caring guild members she'd tried hard to tamp down her anger. While she didn't care for the art of conjuration herself it was still one of the six schools of magic that the guild studied and promoted. Banishing a conjurer because his creatures were distracting seemed far too harsh.

Deciding to look for Erthor first she'd made her way to Bleak Flats cave. Erthor was hopefully still alive. Brenus' journal wasn't going anywhere. The journey had taken her past the vineyards and wineries that the town was famous for. The grape vines had already been pruned and tied back for the coming winter months and the wineries were empty, closed for the season.

Staring through the wooden door she frowned harder. From the purple auras ahead she could see there were six figures inside the conjurer's cave, and she doubted that they were all his summoned creatures. The strong scent of undead flesh oozed out from the cracks in the door. The smallest of the figures seemed to be at the back of the cave. She guessed it was the Wood Elf. If the zombies weren't his there was little wonder that he'd been unable to return to Skingrad. Lilia made a mental note to visit Fathis Aren again soon. She'd feel a lot better if she had an atronach fighting beside her. Dealing with zombies made her flesh crawl.

Pushing open the door she stepped inside to a large chamber. A zombie was moaning softly and lurching around the space. Seeing her it turned to attack. Lilia sent a blast of shock magic at it. The magical spark caused the noxious gases trapped under the creature's rotted arm to burst into flames. Now she had a fiery zombie to deal with. Deciding that perhaps a different approach would work better she pulled out her shortsword. At least the zombie had a head for her to cut off. The creature ran at her with surprising speed. As the enchanted daedric metal severed its head from its body she felt searing pain along her left arm. The zombie had been swinging its flaming arm towards her when she'd killed it, and the arm had continued to burn as it brushed against her.

The speed with which she could feel the flames burning away her flesh horrified her. A wave of cold magic put out the fire, but the arm was in agony. She could smell her charred skin and she knew that the tunic she'd been wearing under the cuirass was ruined. Sending healing spells into the blistered flesh she shivered in fright. Fire had burnt her in the past before, but it had never burnt so quickly or intensely. Her arm had flared up like dry kindling. She understood better what Vicente had meant about fearing fire. Once more Lilia cursed that she'd had so little time to learn from him. She had so many questions about her condition.

Feeling herself again she took the shortsword in her left hand and waved it around experimentally. Her arm felt normal. Passing the sword back to her right hand she noticed that its magical enchantment was far dimmer. She hadn't had it charged since it had come into her possession. She pulled her bag off her back and rummaged through it. Grabbing the star shaped crystal in her left hand she refastened her pack and left it on the floor. Unless a zombie decided to run off with it the bag wouldn't go anywhere.

Less encumbered she pressed forward into the next cavern. There was a depression in the middle of the space that contained a kneeling zombie, and a normal one was walking around above it. Lilia sent a dark purple pulse of magic at the wandering undead creature. The spell hit and a wave of black and purple magicka washed over the zombie. Determining the source of the spell it lurched towards her. Lilia moved to meet it and spun around as she arced her sword at its neck. The satisfying sound of a thud as its head hit the near wall was joined by an even more satisfying sensation in her left hand. Looking at it she could see that Azura's star now contained the life force of the broken creature. She pressed the crystal against the enchanted blade and used her magicka to push the energy out of the gem and into the sword. Azura's star was now dark again and the sword was sparkling with magical energy. The legends were true - Azura's star was re-usable. Regular soul gems were destroyed when enchanting or recharging an item, but this one apparently wouldn't be.

Stepping toward the edge she found that the zombie below had fallen in to the hole. Its legs had broken off at the knees and it was stumping around the bottom on its thighs. Rather revolted by the sight she sent the same soul trap spell into it and jumped down behind it. She slashed lazily out with the sword at the creature. It was unable to move quickly due to its condition. Again she felt the same tingling sensation in her left hand. The soul gem had been refilled. Once more she pushed the energy into the sword, gratified to see that it was now sparkling again as it had been when she'd first received it. Sheathing the sword she jumped up, grabbing hold of the edge of the rock, and pulled herself up. Three zombies were down and there were two more to go.

Moving further in she found another zombie staggering about a small space moaning loudly. It moved forward to meet her so quickly she had to shove it backwards towards the wall while letting her soul trap spell flow out from her hands. She hated having to touch zombies, and having to be so close to one put her in a foul mood. Lilia slashed her sword twice and cut off the creature's arms. Pushing the creature back against the wall with a telekinesis spell she proceeded to stab the defenseless zombie several times in the torso, gleefully watching the magical flames from the sword burn holes into it. With a cruel smile she finally ended the zombie's suffering and cut off its head.

The tingling sensation in her left hand seemed to snap her out of it. The dark serpent within her was singing happily to her, a cruel song of pain and torture. Her legs collapsed out from under her as she fell to the floor, her mind reeling at what had just occurred. Lilia hated zombies with a passion, possibly more than any other creature on the face of Nirn, but even still she wasn't wicked enough to torment them for pleasure. At least, she hadn't been. Pushing herself back up from the floor she found it far harder to push away the fear that pulsed through her. She'd lost control of herself and it hadn't been due to the interference of the Nine. What had she become?

Moving towards the final zombie she blasphemed the Nine loudly in her head. No matter how much she cursed them they never let her go, so she often took the opportunity to vent her anger at them. A part of her imagined them watching her, laughing at her troubles. They certainly seemed to delight in putting her into terrible situations. Her attention shifted to the creature in front of her. Not trusting herself to get too close to it she sent an overly powerful stream of shock magicka into it. The zombie fell to the ground as arcs of lightning ran up and down its body. Her magicka was almost depleted and she hoped that it was Erthor behind that door. She didn't want to face a Necromancer in her current condition.

Stepping into Erthor's living area she was again infuriated with Adrienne. The black haired mer was lying on a bedroll on the floor, and his only furnishings were a desk, a chair, and a small chest. The Bosmer was staring at her with wide eyes, unsure whether to flee, attack, or thank her. Identifying herself as a Mages Guild member the mer broke out into a huge grin.

"Thank you so much! I thought I'd never be able to leave here again. Did you get all of the zombies they left?" His words were quick and breathless. His green eyes darted around the walls as if trying to see through them.

"Yes. But what do you mean by they?" Lilia had a feeling she wouldn't like the answer to her question. Erthor made a face of disgust as he spoke.

"Necromancers. They paid me a visit and tried to convince me to join them. I may be a conjurer but I have no desire to participate in their depraved practices, so I told them to leave. They set a group of zombies on me and I was barely able to bar myself into my home before they caught me. I've spent the last six days hoping for help." Erthor was smiling in gratitude at the oddly armoured woman in front of him.

Lilia frowned at the desk as she tried to make sense of his story. He was the second conjurer she knew of that Necromancers had approached. Kalthar and Falcar had both been Necromancers as well. Something was seriously wrong in the land of Cyrodiil. The followers of Mannimarco were normally much more circumspect and far less aggressive.

"Are you going back to town? Maybe I can travel with you, if that's alright." His face was hopeful as he interrupted her thoughts. She smiled kindly at him.

"You're welcome to travel with me if you don't mind a detour to Fallen Rock cave first." The cave that contained Benus Astis' journal was directly west of the one they were currently in. Erthor's face fell and he frowned as he stared into space. She'd guessed that he wouldn't want to go. The cave had a horrid reputation.

"Alright." Her face clearly showed her shock at his response. The mer stood straight and looked intently at her as he spoke. "You've saved my life, I might as well try to return the favour."

* * *

The journey west was as pleasant as it could be as they moved through the freezing rain. Erthor kept up a steady stream of chatter. Lilia wasn't surprised, the Wood Elf had been trapped alone for several days. He told her about when he used to live in the guild hall. He'd been summoning scamps and trying to train them as domestic help. Lilia needed to stifle a laugh at the concept, but she didn't say anything and let him continue. Adrienne had objected to the smell and noise, complaining that it ruined her concentration, so she'd banished Erthor in punishment to the cave.

When she told him that she didn't have any knowledge of conjuration he had taken it upon himself to tell her all about the ways to summon and control beings from the plane of Oblivion. She listened politely but nothing he said could convince her to study the practice. As a student of the Psijics, though not a follower of the Old Ways, she wouldn't so readily tear temporary holes between the realms to summon monsters to Nirn.

Stepping into Fallen Rock cave they made their way down a steep tunnel. Emerging into the cave itself Lilia was amazed at its size. The ceiling was high overhead and a large passage led further in. She wasn't pleased to see that the legends had been true. Small forms of purple were floating about - ghosts were ranged throughout the cave. She watched as Erthor shielded himself with magic and then summoned a creature to assist them.

It seemed as if the black rocks before them had come alive. With a low rumble a group of large stones seemed to come up from the ground itself and took the shape of a storm atronach. Magical lightning crackled between the rocks, holding them together. Lilia was very impressed. Erthor gave her a weak smile.

"My cave was too small for me to summon a storm atronach to deal with the zombies. But this place is much bigger. Shall we continue?" He sounded braver than he looked. Unsheathing her sword she nodded at him in agreement.

As they pressed through the cave Lilia was more and more impressed with Erthor and his summoned creature. The little mer was also rather talented in destruction magic, and he skillfully tossed shock spells at the ghosts. He explained to her that the rumours were true and that ghosts were most susceptible to that form of magical energy. She sheathed her sword and readied her shock spells. Between the atronach, the vampire, and the Wood Elf they had a relatively easy time of clearing the cave of its spectral inhabitants. Lilia found the diary tucked away in a far corner. It was mostly illegible. She still didn't know why anyone would pay for such a thing. Sentimental reasons, she supposed.

Its job finished the atronach crumbled away, the stones fading into the floor as it tumbled apart. She and Erthor made their way back into the cold day and continued down to Skingrad. Lilia wanted to make sure Adrienne wasn't too busy concentrating to neglect her recommendation. As they journeyed southwards towards the city Lilia grilled Erthor about the various daedra that inhabited the realm of Oblivion. He described them to her, including their strengths and weaknesses. She was surprised to hear that almost all of them were most susceptible to shock damage. He explained that was the reason most conjurers focused mainly on that branch of destruction magic. If they ever lost control of their creature they would have a fighting chance of survival.

It was almost dinnertime when they stepped into the warmth of the guild foyer. Moving up the stairs Lilia watched as Erthor greeted Adrienne and told her his tale. She was furious when the Breton dismissed Erthor and told him to go back to his cave. As the downcast Bosmer walked past her Lilia whispered for him to wait for her downstairs. With the greatest difficulty she spoke politely to Adrienne and watched as her recommendation was written out. Taking it she did not bid the woman good night as she left. Finding Erthor alone in the foyer she motioned for him to follow her outside. They stood huddled under the overhanging second floor of the guild, trying to stay out of the rain.

"You don't want to go back to the cave, and I don't want you to go back to the cave." The Bosmer looked very distressed at the mention of his home.

"No, but what choice do I have? I can't stay here at the hall. Adrienne wouldn't allow it." His posture was very resigned as he spoke.

"But what if you went somewhere else? Adrienne probably wouldn't even notice if you went missing again. You're a free mer, you can go where you please." Lilia watched as Erthor's face lit up at the idea.

"But where would I go? I don't have much money." His brow crinkled together as he thought about the challenges.

"You won't need money if you stay at another hall. Come with me back to Chorrol. They're all conjurers. You'd love it there." By the time she finished speaking Erthor was grinning ear to ear.

"I can finally meet Athragar! We've been corresponding for years!" He was almost dancing around with pleasure. "What are you waiting for? Let's go!" She watched with amusement as the Bosmer sped off towards the city gates. Hurrying along behind him she smiled with delight. The thought of Teekeus' reaction to a conjurer who tried to domesticate scamps was a pleasant thought indeed. 


	36. Chapter 36: An Inauspicious Middle

Standing on the banks of Lake Rumare Lilia stared up at the stars above. Legend held that the stars were actually holes in the sky of Mundus through which Aetherius could be seen. The only constant she'd had in her life was the stars above her. The sight of the familiar constellations twinkling down to the world below always made her feel at home wherever she went.

Between the nightmare she'd had the last time she'd slept and the way she'd felt when moving through Bleak Flats cave Lilia was in no rush to feed and go to bed. She was a little scared of what her dreams would be like. She stared across to the moon illuminated form of the White Gold tower.

Her path was still unclear to her. So far she'd not felt any sort of push or pull during her work with either guild. Lilia knew the Nine weren't done with her yet, but they were being rather quiet about what they wanted. For the first time in fifteen years she finally felt a sense of control over her life, and she'd made a decision that regardless of the plans of the Divines she would now do what she wished.

Casting a waterwalking spell she made her way across the lake towards the waterfront, fully visible and not caring who saw. It was time to go home and she had some housekeeping to do.

"Ow!" Lilia sent a wave of healing magic down to her shin where Methredhel had kicked her. Hard. Carwen took the opportunity to slip out the front door of their shared home. Lilia briefly considered following her example.

"Where have you been? Do you have any idea how worried I was? Months without a word!" Methredhel was waving her arms as she chastised Lilia. She continued ranting and flailing as Lilia wondered if she shouldn't perhaps cast a shield spell. Just in case.

"First you disappear when you steal the bust, and then you're attacked by pirates after you return, followed by a breakfast with Hieronymus Lex, of all people, and then you vanish! Without one word to me! Just what do you have to say for yourself?" Methredhel had crossed her arms in front of her chest and looked like she wanted to kick Lilia again.

"Methredhel, I'm sorry, but I had a family emergency in another province and had to leave immediately. I sent a letter by courier. You didn't get it?" Lilia hated how easily she lied to people. It had often been necessary for her survival, but she always felt bad doing it. Growing up in the various paranoid courts of the land had taught her the skill, the way to answer questions with deflection or the uses of half-truths. But she couldn't tell anyone about where she'd been or what she'd done.

Methredhel relaxed a little but her face was still angry. "What kind of family emergency would be so important?"

"Plague." Lilia had heard rumours that a plague had broken out in Skyrim near Solitude. "My cousin's family fell ill. They all died." Lilia tried to look sad and found it somewhat easy to do. She felt terrible about lying to the spunky mer.

"Oh, I'm so sorry." Methredhel gave Lilia a comforting hug. "But next time, send more than one letter. Come, sit, I'll make some tea."

Methredhel kept up a steady flow of news as she moved about the room. She told Lilia about her promotion in the guild, and blushed furiously when Lilia asked about Armand. The story she told about Hieronymus Lex's involvement with the somewhat violent collection of the waterfront resident's taxes made Lilia frown. That didn't sound like the man with the kind eyes who'd been so nice to her.

"But enough about that." Methredhel set two cups of tea on the table and sat down. "So tell me, what are you going to do now that you're back?"

"Methredhel, there's something I need to know. Is that fetcher Avidius still in town?"

* * *

Moving invisibly through the streets of the Market district Lilia again tried to figure out just what she was going to do. She'd been following Audens since dawn and the sun was now high in the clear blue sky. Watching the Imperial moving about in his white enameled Watch Captain armour she had to tell the snake in her head to shut up. She wasn't about to kill him. No, death would be too merciful for that bastard.

Again she pondered her options. She wanted him to suffer, but she also wanted him to be discredited. He was the only person who could reveal that she'd been with the Emperor when he'd been assassinated. The jailor hadn't seen much of her face when she'd entered the prison, and by the time he saw her again she was unrecognizable. Except for the hair, but she was sure she could lie her way out of any accusations with talk of mistaken identities. But Audens, though he didn't know her name, had seen her up close. As long as he roamed the streets of the Imperial City she wouldn't be comfortable moving about freely.

The balding Imperial was seated on a crate eating an apple and watching people walk by. If she had to she was sure she could frame him for a crime. But she'd much rather he got caught for his own actions. That type of justice would make her happiest of all. The only problem is she wasn't about to lodge a complaint. Lilia didn't want anyone else to know about her brief stay in the Imperial prison. It was not something she ever wanted to discuss.

Avidius was now watching a pair of well-dressed males walking towards a shop. The Redguard was dressed in an expensive velvet suit, and his Orcish companion was wearing a finely wrought leather vest. Lilia watched the way the captain stood up and followed the men into Jensine's Good As New Merchandise. Moving forward she followed behind. If she still had a pulse it would have been racing with excitement.

Catching the wooden door and slipping in as it closed Lilia pressed herself into a corner of the small shop and watched what unfolded. Audens accused the two men of stealing from Jensine, despite her feeble protests. He took their coin purses from them and sent them back out into the district with many veiled threats. Turning back to Jensine he demanded his insurance payment. The brunette Nord meekly took a bunch of coins from her lectern and gave them to Audens. With a sneer he snatched them from her hand, shoved them into one of the purses, and stalked out the door.

Lilia couldn't believe her good fortune. Three victims meant three witnesses, which should be more than enough to convict Avidius. Stepping out from the corner Lilia made herself visible to the Nord who exclaimed loudly in surprise.

"Who are you? What do you want?" Jensine was very wary of the now visible woman before her.

"I'm here to help you." Lilia spoke calmly in reply. Jensine's response to her words made Lilia wonder if the woman wasn't addled.

"Good. About time someone took care of Thoronir. He's ruining us all." The Nord was now smiling at Lilia.

"Thoronir?" She searched her memories. The name seemed familiar.

"Runs the Copious Coinpurse. He's refused to join the Society of Concerned Merchants or put his prices in line with ours. Some things he's even selling below cost. We can't compete with that."

Lilia remembered the friendly Bosmer from her last visit to the city. She'd stopped into his store to look for gloves. The day had been so windy she'd lost one of her pair to a strong gust as she'd attempted to put them on. He'd chatted happily with her about her cloak and had offered to purchase it for a ridiculously low price. When she'd laughed at the offer he hadn't seemed to mind at all.

"I think there's been some confusion. I'm here to help you deal with Audens Avidius. The corrupt guard that just robbed you and two citizens?" Jensine's expression turned stony.

"I don't know what you're talking about. Now leave my store before I call the guards." Not wanting to deal with the authorities Lilia went invisible again and made her way out of the shop. Chances were that Audens was shaking down all of the merchants in the Market district. Getting him arrested for that would probably result in a jail term for the rest of his life. Pondering about how to convince a merchant to talk she moved quickly through the streets following the scent of the Orc. Fortunately it was a still day so she was able to catch the trail.

Following the two men into the Temple district she watched as they stepped into what she assumed was the Orc's house, as he was the one with the key. Moving to the door she waited a minute before letting her invisibility fade and knocking. A deep voice called out for her to enter, so she stepped into the well-furnished room. The Orc was sitting at a long dining table and the Redguard was standing near the bottom of the richly carpeted stairs.

"Don't suppose you have any spare septims?" The Orc asked jokingly.

"How many do you need?" Lilia pulled out her coin purse and opened it. She'd happily pay them anything if they helped her.

The Orc looked surprised at her offer. "That's okay, I was just kidding. But thanks anyway. I'm Luronk gro-Glurzog. What brings you to my home?"

Before Lilia could answer the Redguard spoke. He was eyeing her curiously. "That was a generous offer. Why are you so free with your help?"

"Because I need yours. You're not the first victims of that corrupt guard, and you won't be the last unless someone stops him." The two exchanged uneasy glances at her words. She was afraid they too would order her to leave, so she hastily continued. "Just hear me out. That's all I ask."

* * *

She pushed open the door to the Copious Coinpurse and heard the bell herald her arrival. As she'd moved back to the Market district, wondering which merchants would be most likely to testify against Audens, she'd remembered Jensine's strange words. Had it merely been coincidence that she'd mentioned Thoronir? The one thing Lilia didn't ignore in her life anymore was coincidences. They seemed to happen far too frequently for her liking.

Intending to walk over to the Bosmer behind the counter, who seemed to be trying to identify her, her eyes were drawn by a familiar dull brown bundle lying on a display table in the middle of the store. Moving over she recognized her old cloak. It had been the only article of clothing that had survived fifteen years of wandering. She'd been far more distressed by its loss than that of her money. Picking it up she noted the outrageously high price attached. Turning to the counter she identified the familiar signs of fear in Thoronir as he recognized her as its former owner.

She walked behind the counter and stood beside him. She stared down in her most intimidating manner. Watching as he grew more nervous she waited for him to speak first. What she would do to him depended on what he said to her.

"You're alive!" That she hadn't expected, and her stare turned into a curious blink. Thoronir hastily continued. "He brought it in and told me to sell it for as much as I could. I recognized it and asked about you. He said you'd drowned in Lake Rumare."

Lilia didn't need to ask who 'he' was. She took a step back from the little mer to give him some space. His nervousness at her entrance made more sense now - he'd been told she was dead. Not many people came back from the dead.

"I didn't want to sell it for that fetcher, so I priced it way too high. Even Palonyria couldn't haggle me down." Thoronir seemed pleased at the remembrance. "But you're back, so take it. No cost. It was never mine to sell."

"Thank you Thoronir." She smiled in gratitude at him. "I didn't come here for the cloak though. I need your help."

* * *

She was standing in the middle of the Elven Gardens district trying to figure out what to do next. From what Captain Lex had told her, and her own knowledge of Adamus Phillida's activities, she didn't know who to trust. She had three witnesses willing to testify against Avidius, but she needed someone honest to bring them to. Initially she thought Hieronymus would be the best one to approach, but Methredhel's story of his men's actions on the waterfront made her reconsider. But Lex had mentioned someone else who wasn't corrupt like the others. If only she could remember the name.

"Greetings Captain Hayn!" A patrolling guard hailed someone behind her. Turning, she thanked the Nine for coincidences. They'd led her to Watch Captain Itius Hayn, the very man she was trying to so hard to remember. She ran behind a pillar and became visible once more. Stepping out she made her way to the Watch Captain and walked with him as she told him of Luronk; Ruslan, his Redguard friend; and Thoronir. Itius had stopped walking and had a deep frown on his face.

"And they're all willing to testify?" His voice betrayed his excitement. Lilia suspected he didn't care much for the corrupt Imperial.

"They're more than willing. They're just waiting for you."

* * *

The bard in the corner was playing a jaunty tune and Lilia had to resist the urge to dance with joy as she stood at the bar in the Merchant's Inn. Ordering two ales and a mug of jagga Lilia glanced back at the corner table where three brave citizens were laughing and chatting. She hadn't gone with Itius as he went to question her witnesses but she hadn't wanted to. Lilia had wanted the Captain to see that they weren't under force or duress when they spoke, not that he might have considered the possibility to begin with. Instead she'd gone and sat invisible on the wide railing of the bridge leading to the Imperial prison. After an hour or so of waiting she'd seen the beautiful sight of Audens Avidius being led by Itius Hayn across the massive stone bridge, three complainants following behind. She'd continued waiting until she saw the three making their way back to the city alone. Becoming visible she'd startled them, but they quickly found their tongues. Not wanting to miss any details she'd halted the rush of words and had instead offered to buy them a drink.

Taking the mugs from the bartender she moved back to the table and placed the ale in front of Ruslan and Luronk, and the jagga in front of Thoronir. With a big smile she sat down.

"So start from the beginning, and tell me everything. I want to hear all of the details." By the time they finished Lilia was the happiest she'd been in weeks. 


	37. Chapter 37: Of Orcs and Alchemists

Raminus Polus was sitting on a curved bench in the middle of the foyer of the Arcane University. It would soon be dinnertime and he wondered what would be served today. For all the magicka floating through the place he'd expected the food to be better than it was. He picked up his copy of _2920, Rain's Hand_ and flipped through to the bookmark. It was snowing lightly outside and everyone seemed to be huddled inside the University buildings. Apart from the occasional council member or Battlemage wandering through the room Raminus had been left alone all day and he'd been able to catch up on his reading.

Almalexia herself had just arrived on the Isle of Arteum when Raminus felt a chill wind blowing around his legs. Looking up from the book he saw an unfamiliar woman wearing thick blue robes and a brown cloak enter the foyer. Trying not to sigh he put the book down on the bench beside him and stood up. Curious tourists were always wandering into the guild.

"Can I help you?" He hoped she would go away. He really wanted to finish his story.

"Who are you?" She was looking at him with wary grey eyes. It was an unusual question. Most mages knew who he was, and most tourists asked to see the orrery or the enchanted gardens.

"Raminus Polus, Master Wizard of the Mages Guild."

"Raminus! It's a pleasure to finally meet you. I'm Lilia." She held out a piece of parchment in her gloved hand. He recognized the name and realized that she must be delivering her final recommendation. Taking the paper from her he quickly read the short note.

Lilia has completed her task and is recommended. Adrienne Berene

He recognized the hasty handwriting of the Skingrad guild hall leader. She produced the least amount of correspondence for the council to deal with. They didn't have any idea what was happening in Skingrad. Bruma, however, was a different story entirely. Raminus knew far more about that guild and its members than he'd ever wanted to.

"Did the bergamot seeds help with your research into damage magicka poisons?" She asked him with a grin.

He looked curiously at the woman in front of him. Years ago he used to work as a scholar for the University in the alchemy department. Potions had always been a passion of his. But he hadn't worked there for so long now most of the mages had forgotten. Looking at her his brain felt like it was itching. There was something about her that was so familiar. It was the same feeling he'd had when he'd received her first recommendation from Carahil. He'd been sure he'd once known a Lilia, but it was a long time ago and the memories had refused to come.

"Have we met before?" The way she arched her eyebrows at the question caused a flood of recognition to wash over him. "You're little Lilia! Your mother mentioned you in her letters - you look just like her." He once again took a good look at the woman's face. She had the same lovely bone structure as her mother, but she looked like a faded version of the original.

"I don't really, but thank you. I'm glad you remember her." She was smiling broadly at him.

"How could I forget Magician Lefevre? She was an amazing researcher. How did she do her work, what with your family traveling so frequently? Every time she came back to the University she brought back a huge collection of ingredients all labeled with their names and various effects." Lilia was laughing when he finished speaking.

"According to my father she used to balance her alchemy equipment on the bench of the carriage and sit on the floor. An unfortunate bump, combined with a volatile mixture of cairn bolete cap and ectoplasm, put an end to that practice. After that she used to use telekinesis to keep her equipment floating in the middle of the carriage while she worked. It sapped her ability to fully focus though, so once I was old enough I was taught how keep her apparatus magically suspended so she could concentrate more fully on her research. I bet half of those notes she brought back were written by me as we jostled over the rough roads of Tamriel."

Raminus laughed at the imagery. Erissare had been a remarkable woman. She was of mixed parentage. The rumours were that she was half-Altmer and half-Breton. She'd been the most exotic thing he'd ever seen when he'd first met her as a young Apprentice. He'd attended one of her rare lectures and had been spellbound. Her hair and eyes had been a beautiful deep brown, and her brows and full lashes had also been dark. The contrast against her glowing pale skin was incredible and she'd seemed like a tall, lithe moon goddess to his eyes. But when she'd picked him to grill about the four major effects of the common apple his ardour had quickly faded. When she chose to she could give an imperious stare that would lower even the haughtiest of Altmer nobility, and she'd given him such a stare as he'd stammered out only one effect.

"That sounds exactly like the type of thing Erissare would do. I was sorry to hear of her passing." News of her and her husband's untimely deaths had spread through the guild years ago. The rumours attributed the cause to sudden illness.

"Thank you. She mentioned me in her alchemy correspondence?" Lilia cocked her head a little to the side when she asked the question.

"No, not normally. But I seem to remember one letter that mentioned the incompetent healers in Kvatch had given you a cure poison potion that made your skin turn red. She went on about it for nearly half a page."

"It was a cure disease potion, and my skin turned pumpkin orange." Lilia was laughing at the recollection. Raminus mused at how much of her father she must have in her. He'd never met the man. Lilia was at least a foot shorter than her mother had been, she was deeply tan despite it being fall, and she had the most unusual red hair he'd ever seen. By the time he had met Erissare she'd already been married with a young daughter, and he was amazed to see the child he'd never met standing in front of him now, bringing back so many old memories.

"It now makes perfect sense to me that it would be Erissare's daughter who shows up to the University with eight recommendations instead of the seven required to become an Apprentice." Lilia's face showed surprise at his statement. "Didn't you know? Fathis Aren wrote a letter to me about you."

"What did he say?" She seemed almost nervous as she asked.

"Just that you were adequately talented and that you should be admitted to the University without needing any more recommendations. Oh, and that you were rather knowledgeable about Necromancers." He wasn't sure why she frowned at his words. Lilia looked around the foyer and then stared at Raminus. He waited for her to speak. She seemed to be making a decision about something.

"Is there somewhere else we can talk? Perhaps outside of the district?" She asked him quietly.

Raminus hesitated briefly before answering. What could she possibly have to say that she couldn't say here? Curiosity, as it always did, won out over paranoia and he agreed to go for a walk with Lilia. They made their way out past the stone walls that encircled the University and headed down to the shore. As they walked along the rocky sand he was rather surprised when she starting shooting mud crabs with shock magic spells. She certainly wasn't like her mother in terms of temperament.

"Did you bring me out here to go hunting?" He asked lightly when she stopped walking. She glanced suddenly at him - it was as if she'd forgotten he was there, she'd been so lost in thought. Lilia glanced back at the handful of dead mud crabs she'd left like a trail of breadcrumbs.

"Oh. No. Sorry about that, I can't stand the horrid things." She was looking intently at him and was frowning a little. "Raminus, my mother spoke highly of your intelligence so I'm going to trust you to help me. Something needs to be done about the Necromancers."

He hadn't expected this. As far as the council of mages was concerned there was nothing to be done. The practice and study of Necromancy had been banned, and any member caught violating the ban was expelled. But he'd become a bit concerned over the reports he'd received from Lilia's recommendations. The treachery of Falcar, the lies of Kalthar, and the business in Bravil had caused him to worry.

"Don't worry about it. The council is more than able to take care of it." She was shaking her head by the time he finished speaking.

"No, they're not. Either the council is incompetent or they're headed by a fool, or both." Her words shocked Raminus. He'd never heard an Apprentice criticize the council so harshly without even having met them. His voice was cold when he answered her.

"The council contains the wisest of Master Wizards and Arch Mage Traven is a brilliant leader. I think you are mistaken in your opinions."

"Traven? You don't want to know my opinions of him." She muttered darkly at the dead mud crabs before looking back to the Imperial. "Raminus, something is wrong. Why would the Necromancers place spies throughout the guild? Why would they seek out two of the best conjurers the guild has and try to convert them?"

"Two conjurers?" Her eyes narrowed in displeasure at his question. He'd heard of Fathis Aren's strange meeting, but he hadn't heard of a similar incident.

Lilia quickly filled him in on the details of Erthor's ordeal and he was not happy about what he heard. He was very disappointed that Adrienne had failed to inform the guild about what had happened. He shouldn't be hearing it from a new Apprentice. He also didn't appreciate the tone in which she was lecturing him about the dangers of Necromancers.

"Just where did you learn all of this? What makes you such an expert?"

"Look at this." She pulled the glove off her left hand and held it in front of her palm down. It looked like a regular hand. Raminus wasn't sure what he was supposed to be looking at.

"Your hand?"

"Look closer. Look with your mind." Her words were quick with impatience. Looking again he tried to open his mind. The skin on the back of her hand seemed to shimmer softly.

"Why is there a patch of illusion magic on your hand?" He asked sharply.

"Because I need it to cover this." The skull symbol that revealed itself caused Raminus to step back and prepare his strongest spell. Erissare's daughter or not, he wasn't about to let a Necromancer kill him.

* * *

Watching Raminus step back in fear Lilia reflected that this was not going well at all. When his hands began flaming with powerful destruction magic she quickly called to him.

"Raminus! Wait!" The wizard lowered his hands a little, but the flames did not go out. "Look closer. Please tell me you recognize the mark."

"Of course I recognize the mark, Necromancer." She resisted her impulse to roll her eyes. He'd probably incinerate her if she did.

"No, look closer. Look at the eyes." Raminus leaned a little forward to stare at the skull on her hand. Seeing his brow wrinkle she knew he'd finally noticed the worm that was tracing its way in and out of the sockets. Now the fire was out and he was looking up and down her body.

"That's the symbol of a worm thrall. Why do you have that on your hand?" She was relieved to hear that he recognized it. The woeful lack of knowledge about the Dark Arts that she'd encountered throughout the guild had worried her that even a member of the council wouldn't know it to see it.

"You might want to sit down. It may take a while to explain." She waved towards a large rock beside them, but he shook his head.

"I'll stand, thanks. Continue." She noticed that he was still tense and that he still held his hands so they would be ready at a moment's notice.

"Very well. Do you remember Ulliceta gra-Krog?" His face darkened as Lilia spoke the name.

"Of course I do. Her remarks have been recorded for history in _The Black Arts on Trial_. She's one of the most infamous Necromancers of all. Why?" He was definitely suspicious of her.

"I studied under her years ago." Noting his hands flare again she hastily continued. "Before it was revealed that she was a Necromancer. I'd heard that she had a remarkable new method of healing scars so I went to Orsinium and presented myself at her home. She asked me a lot of questions about myself before she agreed to train me. Satisfied with my answers she led me to the basement. The magic was unusual but eventually I started to become more adept at it. She kept giving me potions of restore magicka so that I could continue practicing as the day wore on. After sunset she gave me another potion and I drank it without a thought.

When I woke up again I was lying on the floor of a small cell. I couldn't move a muscle and the back of my left hand hurt terribly. Ulliceta was nearby - I could hear her voice but I couldn't see her. She told me that I'd never need to worry about scars again. She explained that she was going to turn me into a worm thrall. Apparently I was the healthiest subject she'd ever chosen and she was very curious at how long I would last before I changed. My lack of family made me an ideal candidate for the experiment. She walked away and left me alone in the dark. I never saw her again." Lilia paused; she didn't relish discussing the next part.

"How did you get away?" The Imperial's hands were now hanging down by his sides.

"I didn't, not at first. Whatever was in the potion rendered me immobile and silenced. All I could do was lie in the dark and listen to things shuffling around me. After I don't know how long, but I'm guessing a day, I heard the cell door open. A zombie came in carrying another potion. I wasn't able to stop it when the creature opened my mouth and poured it down my throat. This was repeated four times, so I think I was down there for five days in total." Lilia resisted the urge to retch. She'd never forget the feel of undead fingers in her mouth. She was convinced that she'd been made to swallow a piece of rotten flesh that had scraped off the finger of a zombie as it moved over her teeth. Those five days had seemed like an eternity to her. Five days spent in the dark, unable to do anything but let her mind wander in terror, left to the tender ministrations of the undead. Five days as she felt her flesh dying around her.

"On the sixth day the zombies stopped moving. I later learnt that the Knights of the Lamp had attempted to arrest Ulliceta at the Mages Guild in Orsinium and that she had fled the province. She was unable to maintain her zombies because of the distance, or she chose not to, I don't know. Either way I found myself lying in the black silence. Eventually I regained the use of my magicka and I recalled back to the anchor I had set in Daggerfall. It took a month for the healers to fix me." She looked at the back of her left hand. "I've never been able to remove the mark. It doesn't seem to be a burn, a scar, or a tattoo. It doesn't hurt anymore, and it doesn't do anything unusual. It doesn't seem to serve any purpose except to frighten people such as yourself. Ever since then I've made it a point to learn everything I can about Necromancers. I never wanted to fall into such a trap again. There aren't enough books on the subject, but the people of High Rock are rather knowledgeable about Necromancy. It was rumoured that the King of Worms himself was present during the Warp in the West. If you need more information I suggest you contact the guilds there."

Raminus was openly staring at the mark on her hand. Offering it to him he took hold and touched it, his fingers tracing the outline as he frowned deeply.

"It doesn't seem to be magical in any way that I can detect." He let her hand go. "You can cover it up again."

Lilia hesitated a moment before deciding to merely put her glove back on. "No, I'm not sure if I will. Strange coincidence, isn't it? I finally join the Mages Guild ten years after getting this mark, ten years after Necromancy is banned, and suddenly there are problems?" She looked right up at the sky as she spoke. "I don't believe in coincidences any more."

Raminus was giving her an odd look and she sighed softly. Mentally she added him to the list of people who considered her slightly mad. It was getting to be a much larger list than the one of people who thought her completely sane.

"Well, come along Apprentice Lefevre. Let me show you the grounds of the Arcane University and get you a set of apprentice robes."

"Please, just call me Lilia. And Raminus?" The Imperial stopped and looked at her. "Can you show me the orrery and the enchanted gardens first?" 


	38. Chapter 38: The Language of Flowers

Yesterday's snow had been unable to stick to the still warm ground and the weather was slightly nicer for a change. A sweet wind was blowing up from the south, carrying teasing notes of flowers, sun, and greenery. Standing in front of the Arena Lilia knew that people were staring at her but she didn't care. She was too busy keeping her feet on the ground.

"No way. No way!" She was muttering under her breath darkly. A couple of Arena hopefuls, busy sparring in unarmed combat, took a break from their practice and were watching her. "You can't make me and I won't do it." She shot a dark look up at the clear blue sky.

Yesterday had been a fruitful day. She'd spent the remainder of the evening being shown around the guild by a somewhat less hostile Raminus Polus and after he'd retired to bed she'd spent the night wandering through the grounds. She'd fed the night before that, after the drinks in the Merchant's Inn, and had slept on the bedroll of her hovel. Waking up she had wandered over to the Market district and had purchased several new furnishings for her home, including a bed and some sturdy chairs. She'd also purchased an assortment of cheap rings in various sizes as well as every soul gem she could get her hands on before she'd made her way to the University. Money didn't concern her too much. Back when she'd left the sanctuary for the last time, all those weeks ago, she'd opened her bag to discover herself relatively comfortable. She'd earned herself quite a bit of gold as an assassin, but she strongly suspected that Vicente had thrown in all his savings as well. The money was the only thing she'd removed from her black pack when she'd finished using it.

For most of last night she'd spent her time in the Chironasium enchanting a handful of rings and her armour. She'd been forewarned by mage gossip in other provinces that the Imperial University's altars of enchanting were somewhat lacking and she'd found their words true. Other altars would allow an enchanter to put a stronger enchantment on a higher quality item, or allow them to combine several advantages and disadvantages, or to let them combine very similar effects. The altars at the University would let her do none of those things. The first thing she had attempted was a ring that would constantly cast her aura shifting spell. She maintained it at all times, as she'd done with the spell to hide the mark on her hand, but the constant magicka expenditure was a problem. Lilia had destroyed six rings before she finally got the hang of the system. The little copper band was nestled firmly against her pinky finger on her right hand and it comforted her greatly to have.

After that she'd put fire resistance onto every single piece of her armour. It might have been a bit excessive but she was still frightened by how easily she burnt. The remainder of the rings and lesser quality soul gems she'd used to create luck enchantments. It was the only thing she could think of that she could certainly use more of. The University charged for the privilege of using their altars and she'd spent several thousand septims by the time she was done. She'd paid Martina Floria, the enchantment recharger of the Chironasium, before leaving. To waste the rest of the night away she'd wandered through the renowned library and had browsed a few interesting titles. Lilia found that she was comfortable feeding and sleeping every two days. She didn't dare try to sleep every night without feeding, she remembered all too well what happened when she turned. And she didn't want to feed nightly. Not only was it risky but it tasted terrible.

So as she stood immobile in the centre of the sidewalk she rued that her fingers, now all sporting an enchanted ring of some kind, didn't seem to be helping her luck at all. She was literally being pushed by the Gods in the direction of the Arena, and she couldn't for the life of her think of what possible purpose she could serve there. She regretted bitterly that she hadn't bothered setting her magical mark in her house yet. Tentatively lifting her right foot she found it stepping forward.

"Fine. But I'm not happy about this." With that she stalked forward to the main gate under her own power, leaving the curious stares behind. A Bosmer with very vibrant blond hair introduced himself as Hundolin. He was the one who oversaw the betting system. When he asked her which team she wanted to bet on she told him she wanted to join instead. Lilia did the talking. She knew that not even the Nine in their unfathomable ways would send her to gamble in their name. Hundolin gave her a quizzical look as he eyed her. Dressed in a simple grey robe and brown cloak she knew she didn't look very tough at all. The mer had pointed her to a large door that was at the base of a flight of stone stairs.

Opening the door and pushing her way in she was overwhelmed by the scent of old blood. The serpent in her mind was rustling around in response. Choosing to breathe through her mouth for a change she surveyed the scene around her. She was in a large, and poorly lit, training room. The walls were curved to match the contours of the arena above. A Dark Elf was practicing on a straw target with a bow and arrow, and an unusual coloured Orc was making some very impressive moves against a wooden dummy with his sword. The Dunmer noticed her and walked over.

"Hey there. Are you looking to join?" As he spoke Lilia noticed he had several scars on his face and his nose was rather flat, most likely broken several times. But he had a very friendly manner about him.

"Actually, I am. I'm Lilia. It's nice to meet you…"

"My name is, well, my name isn't important. I'm the blue team Gladiator." Lilia didn't bother to hide the amusement on her face.

"Why doesn't your name matter?" She inquired.

"Well, you don't get a name until you become Grand Champion. An arena name, of course. See, that's the Grey Prince practicing over there. He's been Grand Champion for over ten years now."

"You have to have a name. What will I call you if you don't have one? I'll have to make one up, and I'm terrible at making up names." She was teasing him lightly and he smiled in response.

"It's Synderius. But I'm going to use Dark Avenger once I'm Grand Champion. Have you picked out an arena name yet?"

"I didn't know I needed one. I don't suppose you have any suggestions for me?" She gave him a hopeful look. The Gladiator laughed.

"I don't know if I'll be able to help you much there. It took me two years to decide on Dark Avenger, and I'm still not sure I'm satisfied with it. You said your name was Lilia? Where does that come from? Is it Imperial?"

It was Lilia's turn to laugh. "No, actually. It was all my father's fault." Synderius raised his eyebrows in curiosity so she continued.

"When my mother was pregnant with me he made sure that she always had a bouquet of her favourite flowers wherever they traveled. He was very sweet to her." She smiled at the thought of her parents. They had been so in love with each other, despite their differences. "Her favourite flowers were tiger lilies. When I was born my hair was more orange than red and my father took one look at me and proclaimed that I was to be named Tiger Lily, since I matched the bouquet beside the bed. Fortunately for me my mother absolutely refused. My father could be very stubborn and he wouldn't consider any other names. It was the midwife who started suggesting variations. Unfortunately they weren't very good. I'm lucky that both of my parents rejected Tigerita, Liletta, and Tigily. My mother finally suggested Lilia and the name stuck. At least it sounds almost normal."

"Tiger Lily." Synderius spoke the words distinctly, leaving a pause between them. "How about that as an arena name?"

Lilia considered it. Tiger. Lily. It wasn't bad at all, and she didn't have any better ideas. "Synderius, I think you're far better at this than you give yourself credit for. So now that I have a name, what do I do next?"

"You'll want to talk to Owyn." The Dunmer pointed to an arched opening that led to another room. "He's in there. But watch out - he's not a patient man."

"Thanks. Wish me luck." She made her way past him and through the arched doorway. An elderly Imperial woman was sitting on a stool in the far corner scowling at a shield as she polished it. A tall Nord with strawberry blonde hair and an intense frown was busy beating the stuffing out of a punching bag. Watching her for a moment Lilia admired her skill. Looking to the other side of the room she saw a Redguard, his black hair streaked with grey, watching her with a grumpy expression on his face. It had to be Owyn. She walked over to him.

"I don't know who you are friend, but you've got about ten seconds to tell me what you're doing in my Bloodworks before I lop your arms off." By the way he said it he sounded like he wanted to do some arm lopping.

" I want to sign up." She didn't really, but she figured she'd placate the Gods and then never come back here again. They certainly didn't seem to be interfering with her other guild activities.

Owyn let out a burst of laughter at her words. Finished, he looked at her with scorn. "You? My grandmother is tougher than you."

Lilia suspected he might be right. The women of Hammerfell were some of the fiercest warriors to walk the face of Tamriel. Their deeds were just as celebrated as their men folk's, perhaps even more so. She just gave him a withering look in response.

"You're serious, aren't you?" Seeing that she wasn't going anywhere Owyn gave her an appraising stare. He didn't seem impressed by what he saw. "It's your funeral. You want a heavy raiment or a light raiment?"

As Owyn explained the rules and got Lilia a light raiment that would fit her she tried hard not to frown. She really didn't want to fight in the arena. Of all the dreams she'd had as a young girl killing for glory had never been one of them, and fame was something she'd never sought. If anything she'd dreamt of a completely normal, boring life. Lilia thanked the Divines sarcastically in her head for their blessings.

"Once you're ready put on your raiment and come see me to schedule a match." Owyn paused and looked at her again. "You're sure you know what you're doing?"

"Yes." She said through clenched teeth as she turned her eyes up to the ceiling. "But I'm not killing anyone."

She gasped at the same time Owyn did. Lilia hadn't expected to be able to say that out loud. Had she misread the intentions of the Gods? Was she supposed to gamble in the name of the Nine instead? She looked at Owyn, who was giving her the strangest look of astonishment. Did they have rules against crazy people fighting in the arena? She was fairly sure they didn't. You had to be crazy to sign up in the first place.

"Not killing anyone? I don't think you quite understand the concept. Perhaps I'd better take that raiment back." She hugged the armour closer to her chest, away from his reach. Her mind raced. There was no mistaking the pushing sensation she'd felt outside. She was sure that she was supposed to sign up, to fight for the amusement of the masses. But she'd been able to say that she didn't plan on killing anyone. Perhaps she could work with that.

"No, I understand fine. But what's the difference if they're knocked out or if they're killed? Half the citizens don't even realize that the combatants are dying for their entertainment." What she said was true. Listening to the chatter of the people on the streets she realized that most of them thought nobody ever died in the arena.

"Haven't you ever heard of Gaiden Shinji? 'The best techniques are passed on by the survivors'?" Owyn quoted the wisdom of the famed Blademaster.

"'Because those who have survived defeat know better how to attain victory.' Yes, I'm familiar with Blademaster Shinji's teachings." It annoyed Lilia to no end when people failed to finish the famous phrase.

Owyn snorted at her and frowned. She decided to appeal to the Redguard's practical side.

"Why not give me a try? I'll be a novelty." She suggested quickly. The spectators were always looking for something new. Owyn weighed her words.

"I'll tell you what. You come back tomorrow, ready to fight, at 9 a.m. You'll fight every Middas morning for the next three weeks. If you can manage to increase the attendance, and the profits, then I might let you keep fighting. That is, if you're still alive to do so." He didn't seem to expect her to survive.

"It's a deal." As Lilia shook the very strong hand of Owyn she wondered just what she had gotten herself into.

Exiting the arena, after having said goodbye to Synderius, Lilia headed to the Market district. Somehow she was going to have to entertain the crowd tomorrow and she had no idea what to do. Moving along the streets she planned out the rest of her day. It was still early. She probably had time to make a quick trip down to Bravil. She wanted to continue her lessons with Fathis Aren. After that she'd teleport back to the waterfront, snack on Puny Ancus, and try to sleep. Tomorrow morning seemed far too soon for her comfort.

* * *

Owyn looked at the daft woman before him. She was wearing her blue team light raiment, at least she'd managed to do something right. A pointed mithril helmet covered her hair. But it was her choice of weapon that confirmed his suspicions that she was none too bright.

"A stick? You're going to go into the arena armed with a stick?" He didn't bother hiding the scorn in his voice.

"It's a staff." Lilia held the long wooden pole beside her. It was about two inches in diameter and a foot taller than she was. It didn't even have metal ends.

"What does it cast?" While the combatants were all required to wear the same armour they were allowed to use whatever weapon they preferred, including enchanted ones. Maybe her stick did something impressive.

She pointed it at Porkchop, the boar mascot of the arena, who was busy snuffling around in the corner of the room. A soft green ball of magicka flew out from the stick and the boar began glowing. Pleased with his newfound illumination Porkchop moved forward to explore under the table.

"You're going to use a stick of light."

"A staff. Of light, yes. But I'm going to use it as a weapon." She stood defiantly in front of him. He took another look at her. Perhaps she wasn't daft. Maybe she was just mad.

"At least take that flower off." She'd woven a tiger lily bloom into the ring that held her shoulder straps to her cuirass. He'd heard her tell Hundolin that if anyone asked about her to tell them that she was Tiger Lily. He'd had to suppress a laugh at that. Pit dogs were so amusing with their delusions of grandeur.

"No. So are you going to let me fight or not? This armour chafes." He didn't bother to suppress his laughter this time. She was determined to get herself killed. Oh well, at least he'd tried his best.

"Fine. You're fighting another new pit dog. She's a Wood Elf in light raiment armed with an elven longsword. Just go up through those red doors and wait for the gates to lower. After that you're on your own." With a nod Lilia left the room and headed towards the ramp up to the arena.

Not wanting to miss this Owyn headed up to the lower gallery. He placed a small bet on the yellow team and found a spot in the sun. Looking around he waited for the announcer to finish talking. There were a handful of people in the stands. Middas morning matches were the least attended of the whole week. Pit dog fights were always scheduled for that time slot and the spectators rarely bothered attending them. Usually it was only the hardcore gamblers who showed up.

With a clatter of metal the gates that held the two combatants back fell into the ground. He watched the new fighters circle each other warily before the Bosmer slashed out with her sword. Lilia dodged out of the way and began twirling her staff around in circles, alternating hands and whirling it above her head. The sparse crowd roared. Owyn just shook his head.

While the crowd may think her moves were special, he knew better. She was wasting too much energy on fancy tricks. He'd once faced a skilled opponent armed with a heavy ebony staff. The man had barely moved it, but when he'd struck the force behind his blows was staggering. Because of him Owyn's knee still hurt when it rained.

Watching as Lilia dodged the blade of the Wood Elf he frowned a little. She did move fast. Every now and again she used her staff to help her jump around the frustrated pit dog. While it was an entertaining display she didn't seem to be doing any damage to the Bosmer.

After a few minutes of this the Wood Elf lunged forward suddenly, stabbing her sword towards Lilia's stomach. Spinning out of the way Lilia brought her staff around and sent a powerful blow to the back of the pit dog's helmeted head. The staff broke in half with the force, and the mer fell to the ground. Holding the splintered end of her staff, which was now showering green sparks onto the sandy floor of the arena, Lilia bowed to the crowd. Plucking the still pristine flower from her cuirass she lay it gently on the unconscious warrior's back. Lilia made her way out of the arena waving the whole time.

As Owyn made his way to the stairs back down to the Bloodworks he heard the crowd talking about what they'd seen. He had to admit it, she certainly had made an impression on them. But would it be enough to bring them back and attract new gamblers? He shrugged his shoulders. Either way, it probably wouldn't matter. With brains like that she'd most likely never live to see Brawler. 


	39. Chapter 39: Mystics and Conjurers

Lilia was frowning as she struggled to pull her arrow out of the hard shell of the mud crab. Giving it up as a lost cause she stood and looked over at the finely wrought wooden door set into the rock nearby. A mystical eye glowed softly in the middle, lit by magic. She was sure this was the door to Wellspring cave.

Looking back down she kicked the dead mud crab towards the water. It was becoming a bad habit of hers, slaughtering every single one of the creatures that she encountered, and she doubted that Kynareth approved. Raminus certainly hadn't. She smiled faintly as she remembered her conversation with him this afternoon. It had gone better than she'd expected.

Raminus had mentioned that she would have a task as a new Apprentice when he'd given her the tour of the University, but she hadn't asked for it then. She'd wanted to take some time to enjoy the Imperial City. Now, two days later, she was dying to get away from it. While it was indeed a remarkable city she felt restless. She hadn't spent so much time in one place without a very compelling reason for a very long time, and habit was telling her to move on.

She'd gone to ask Raminus about this assignment after her Arena match. Lilia shook her head at the remembrance of the fight. She'd finally found a usable staff at Rindir's Staffs. The weapons shops hadn't contained a single one. While they were rather cumbersome to carry around few weapons could compete with their reach. She preferred using a staff most of all, but they were too long to be of any use anywhere other than a wide open space. So she'd studied hard to be able to wield a blade well. Shortswords had quickly become her favourite type of sword. Their lighter weight more than made up for their shorter range. Maces, axes, and warhammers had never suited her. The heavy bulk at the end of the weapons always threatened to pull her off balance. She'd had training to use them if necessary, but she'd never pick them up if she had a better choice.

The spectators might or might not have enjoyed her show – she wasn't sure. But the fighters had certainly not been impressed. Heddvild, the yellow team Champion, had laughed in her face. Synderius had at least been kind and had complimented her speed. As she'd left the Bloodworks Hundolin had mentioned that a few people had asked about her and he'd told them she'd be appearing again next Middas. Lilia hoped that they would bring some friends. She stifled an impulse to curse the Gods. Having to both battle and entertain was not at all her idea of fun, and she had to repeat her performance next week.

She'd stopped at Thoronir's store on her way to the waterfront. The Bosmer had mentioned that he took special orders so she'd placed an order for a proper staff. Owyn had been right to scorn her weapon, it had been a stick. She wanted something made out of metal, preferably a durable type of metal. Thoronir had promised that she would have a staff before next Middas. Lilia gave a quick prayer to the Nine that the Bosmer delivered. After a chat with him she'd gone first to her home and had armed and armoured herself. In her experience she found that Mages Guild tasks tended towards the dangerous.

Raminus had been polite enough not to chuckle at her appearance, though a balding Imperial in fine white robes had scowled at her presence in the foyer. Her assignment was actually a good one. She was to retrieve a length of wood from Wellspring cave and then return to have it enchanted as her mage's staff. Feeling a little overdressed she'd made her way to the cave, walking above the water of Lake Rumare, while practicing her archery on the mud crabs that ranged the shore. She was rather rusty - she had barely touched a bow in months.

Stepping forward she placed her hand on the sparkling eye and the door slid open. Moving into the dark cave she could smell the fetid scent of the newly dead. Preparing her bow she cast her detect life spell, letting it range wide. Raminus had only mentioned two people that maintained the grove, and she could see three figures inside the cave. Moving forward down the tunnel she found herself in a small cavern. The body of a Khajiit lay on the floor, burn marks visible on her fur and robe. Lilia had her own paranoid suspicions as to the cause of the Khajiit's injuries. She stepped her way quietly along a low passage and saw a dark robed figure sitting on a rock ahead of her. The Altmer was sideways but she could make out the familiar red skull on his chest.

Necromancers! Notching her arrow Lilia quickly took aim at his head. She was going for the temple. If she hit true it should kill him instantly. The arrow flew across the room and entered directly into the mer's ear. Oops. While it wasn't what she'd been aiming for the result was the same and the High Elf pitched forward onto the floor, dead. Lilia didn't even consider trying to retrieve her arrow from his body. Scrambled bits of brain always made arrows fly off kilter.

Stepping out of the passage she looked quickly at the space. A small stream of water ran through the centre of the cavern and an outcropping of rock formed a natural bridge over it. On the other side was another black robed figure facing away from her. This time Lilia aimed for the heart. The one good thing about Necromancers was their arrogance. The Dark mages never bothered with armour, preferring to rely on their magical talents to protect them. They also seemed oblivious to the fact that their senses were somewhat dull. While she'd never confirmed her theory, Lilia suspected it had to do with the way that they'd bound their bodies to Mannimarco. Regardless of the cause they were known to be among the least observant of opponents.

Her arrow flew straight and the Necromancer crumpled to the ground. Making her way across the bridge she kicked the body over onto its back, noting that it was a young Dunmer male. Looking around she could see another figure standing higher up, most likely straight ahead in the tunnel before her. Moving carefully Lilia made her way to the opening in the rock and then jumped back quickly against the wall. The golden glow of magicka from inside the passage was unmistakable. The Necromancer had seen her and had conjured an assistant. By the moans and smell she assumed it was a zombie. Not wanting to tangle with another one of those Lilia fired a shock spell blindly up into the sloping passage.

Tears of Talos! Her muscles contracted uncontrollably and she could hear her flesh sizzle under her armour. Her spell had been reflected back at her and Lilia was now appreciating the full effects of it. The zombie had made its way out into the cavern and hit her bodily with its arms, pushing her onto the floor. Sending a wave of dispel magic down herself she managed to pull out her sword and slash wildly in the direction of the undead creature. The zombie's leg was severed at the knee and it toppled over onto its side. Scrambling away from it Lilia used a healing spell to mend her aching body. She picked up her fallen bow and pushed herself back up as she ruled out magical attacks against this Necromancer. She didn't want to experience one of her own spells again. Though she was a little pleased at how much better her shock spells were getting.

The purple figure was moving down towards the cavern. Lilia couldn't hide, and invisibility probably wouldn't conceal her. The strength of the spell reflection shield the Dark mage had cast indicated that she was well versed in mysticism magics. Detect life would surely be a part of her repertoire. Notching an arrow Lilia took aim and waited until the petite Breton had stepped into the room. The Necromancer smiled cruelly at Lilia as she moved her hands to cast a spell. Not wanting to find out what she was about to cast Lilia sent an arrow into the Breton's right hand. The Necromancer shrieked with pain and fury, but she couldn't easily retaliate. The arrow lodged through her palm prevented her from performing all of the complex hand motions required to use spells.

It had taken Lilia years of practice to comfortably cast spells without speaking magical cantrips or performing arcane finger patterns. Though her magics were never quite as strong as if she'd spoken and gestured she'd worked diligently away at the skill for precisely the reason that the Breton was now furious. She never wanted to be unable to use her magicka. She did tend to move her arms as she cast, the motion helped her focus her magicka, but it wasn't necessary for her to do. However, her fingers were never involved when she cast, she made sure of that.

The Breton was now muttering dark incantations and trying to use her left hand to weave her magicka into a spell. Even though it would surely be weaker than normal Lilia still didn't want to find out what the woman would hit her with. She took aim and let loose another arrow. Instead of hitting the Necromancer in the heart the arrow embedded itself in her stomach. Again the Breton let out a shriek and then started trying to cast a spell. The third arrow Lilia shot at her managed to land in the correct spot in her chest and the Necromancer fell dead to the floor, her summoned legless zombie disappearing back to the void.

Lilia gathered her arrows from the bodies of the dead Necromancers on this side of the bridge and used the stream to clean them off before placing them in her quiver. As she made her way up the tunnel she found herself in front of a wooden door. Daylight filtered in through the cracks and she guessed that it must lead to the grove. Frowning at it she again regretted that she had no atronach to fight by her side. Her trip to Bravil the other day had been worthwhile for sure, but she'd spent her time with Fathis learning about the elemental forms of magicka. She understood that she needed to be fully grounded in theory before she could attempt to make an atronach. Impatient though she may be she knew that performing a new type of magic without understanding the intricacies first often yielded spectacular results of the distinctly negative sort.

Unlatching the door as she readied an arrow she nudged it slowly open with her foot. Peeking out she found the three purple shapes she'd seen reveal themselves to be black clad Necromancers. They were ranged throughout a magical wooded grove. The leaves of the trees were still green and full, matching the lush grass on the ground. One of the Necromancers wore a black hood and from what Lilia had learnt the hooded ones tended to be of a higher rank. She took aim at the fabric covered head and let her arrow loose.

Instead of flying into the Necromancer's skull the arrow pierced her throat. The wound was mortal, but death was not instantaneous. The Imperial managed to point towards Lilia and moan before dying. The other two Necromancers, alerted to her presence, were busy summoning aid. Lilia fired an arrow at one as she ran behind the nearest tree. The shot went wide and Lilia cursed as she surveyed the two new glowing figures moving towards her. By the shape she could tell that one was a daedroth - a giant reptilian beast of immense strength and sharp teeth. But it wasn't the daedroth that worried her. It was the human shaped figure that called out to her with a metallic voice. A dremora had been summoned to Nirn and regardless of what type it was they were formidable opponents.

Taking a chance she scrambled up into the branches of the tree and chameleoned herself. Looking down she saw the daedroth wandering around the ground below her, able to smell but not see her. The dremora was clad entirely in daedric armour and held a long daedric claymore in his hands. She did not want to fight either of them so she took careful aim at the Necromancers in the grove. This time her arrow hit where she wanted and the male Bosmer fell down, his summoned daedroth dissolving into a mist of golden light. The other Necromancer had been able to trace the source of the projectile and let out a fireball in Lilia's direction. The magical flames consumed the leaves around her and Lilia leapt in fear back down to the ground. The spell had hit her directly but the fire resistance of her armour had shielded her from the majority of the damage. Still she needed to cast a healing spell as she ran from the dremora who was right behind her, trying unsuccessfully to sever her head from her body with his massive sword.

Ducking under another swing Lilia took a chance and sent a paralyzation spell back at the daedra. To her complete surprise the spell worked and the dremora fell stiffly to the ground. She didn't even know it was possible to paralyze the creatures of Oblivion. Next time she was in Chorrol she'd have to talk to Erthor and see what else could be done to them. Necromancers tended to be expert conjurers, and if she continued to encounter the servants of the King of Worms she wanted to know how best to handle their summoned creatures.

Seizing the opportunity Lilia sent a fireball in return at the remaining Necromancer. The grass below him burst into flames, causing the hem of his robe to catch fire. The Altmer was working to counter the fiery magic when Lilia shot an arrow into his chest. The pain distracted him from his spell and the fire continued to spread up his body. Pressing her advantage Lilia tried to magically feed the flames as Fathis had shown her yesterday. To her delight it worked and the fire covered the screaming Altmer.

The seductive hissing in her mind urged her to slow the fire, to let the High Elf stay alive as long as possible burning in agony. Startled by the thought she accidentally let her concentration lapse. The fire went out but the Necromancer was still screaming. His entire body was covered in charred flesh and his eyes were blind, destroyed by the heat. Running forward she pulled out her shortsword and cut off his head to end his suffering. She didn't breathe as she stood alone in the magical grove. While she'd managed to control herself this time her evil impulses frightened her deeply. Did all vampires feel this way?

Exploring the area she discovered the body of a white haired Redguard woman. She was dressed in mages robes and Lilia suspected that she must be Eletta. The body of the Khajiit was most likely Zarasha. As Lilia moved back into the cave and dragged out the bodies of the Necromancers she wondered just what had caused Mannimarco's minions to attack and kill the keepers of the magical grove. She couldn't see any real advantage for them. Paranoia crept into her thoughts, but she dismissed the notion. Though she wasn't making friends with the Necromancers she highly doubted that they would break into the cave and murder two mages just to ambush her. Arranging the bodies into a large pile she used her magicka to incinerate them, reducing them to a small amount of ash.

Unsure of what to do with the dead mages she left them alone. Stopping only to grab a length of wood from the stone chest in the middle of the trees she teleported back to her home on the waterfront and refreshed her magical anchor. Hurrying she made her way to the Arcane University. She needed to talk to Raminus. After that she needed to leave the Imperial City. She had an appointment to keep. 


	40. Chapter 40: New Tricks

Rummaging through the cupboards Carius Runellius finally found an orange hidden under a pile of apples. Standing back up he began peeling off the dimpled skin. The fragrant oils that burst into the air made him breathe deeply to catch the scent. Oranges were his favourite of all fruit and the smell always made him smile.

"Carius, sorry to interrupt, but can you go check on Allian? He hasn't come for dinner yet." Captain Burd was seated at the round table in the middle of the barracks and was speaking to him. The tall Nord was slight for his race but he was still a formidable fighter. He was also an excellent Captain of the city guards. Very little escaped the man's notice.

"Sure thing." Continuing to strip his orange Carius headed towards the door that led directly to the jailor's desk. Allian looked after the prison during the day. He was a young Imperial and very enthusiastic about his duties. Carius was glad to see it, too many of the career guards became bored and cynical and he always found it refreshing to encounter the zeal of new recruits. Stepping into the room Carius wasn't surprised to find the desk empty. Allian must be delivering Jorundr his meal early. Tyrellius had long been sent off to the Imperial City and the Nord was once again the sole occupant of the castle dungeons.

Sitting at the chair behind the desk Carius put his feet up and savoured his snack. He'd been patrolling since dawn and it was always nice to sit down. Other than the occasional drunken brawl Bruma was a quiet town with little criminal activity. Despite the peace Captain Burd made sure that the guards remained vigilant and that patrols were regular. He wanted to keep it quiet. Finishing his orange Carius was starting to wonder what was keeping Allian so long. He pulled his boots off the desk and sat up. Glancing over the prison logbook he was not entirely happy with what he saw.

Lilia was back. According to the log she'd come in to visit Jorundr early this afternoon and she hadn't been signed out. Either she'd escaped with the Nord or she was still down there. Since visitors weren't allowed to be unattended Allian must be stuck there as well. With a sigh Carius got to his feet and trudged down to the cellblock. Unlocking the metal door he was very surprised by what he found.

The tables and chairs had all been pushed against the wall, leaving the large main room empty. Lilia was standing between Jorundr and Allian. They were all lunged forward and pointing mop handles, stripped of their heads, at the floor in front of them.

"Remember to use the power in your legs when you thrust. It causes more damage." She was speaking to Allian, who had removed his chainmail uniform and was dressed only in his wool pants. Sweat covered the Imperial's torso. Jorundr too was sweating profusely. Noticing Carius Lilia gave him a smile as she moved towards him, calling back more instructions at the same time. "Keep practicing you two. Be sure to use your whole body."

Standing in front of him she greeted him heartily. "Carius! A pleasure to see you again. Did you want to join us?" Unlike the two men she wasn't perspiring at all.

"Join you? What are you doing? And what happened to Allian's uniform?" He was speaking loudly and he could see the blond Imperial blush nervously. Lilia laughed at the question.

"Didn't you know? I've been given permission by Countess Carvain to train Jorundr. It was my reward for bringing Tyrellius to justice." She was looking curiously at him. Carius was confused by her words.

"Training Jorundr for what?" He didn't trust the strange alchemist's motives.

"For his eventual release of course." She lowered her voice as she continued talking. "He's a smart man with a good heart but he doesn't have any marketable skills. I'm trying to prepare him for a career so that he won't be tempted to turn back to crime."

Her answer only confused Carius more. That seemed rather nice for her to be doing. She noted his frown and laughed.

"Well, you're welcome to join us anyway. Allian's been doing great. He has a real talent for fighting with a staff." Carius shot a glare at the young jailor, who was now beet red and trying hard to pretend to be nonchalant. Lilia noticed and continued. "Allian had to watch us anyway, so I figured he might as well participate. He's still guarding us, he just isn't sitting on his ass while he does it."

Shaking his head Carius addressed the uncomfortable jailor. "Captain Burd is looking for you. I suggest you report in to him at once. And put your uniform back on before you go." Allian let his mop fall to the floor and hurried over to his armour.

"So you're going to watch us then? Good. Pull out a chair if you wish." She smiled at Carius and walked back to Jorundr. Allian, now fully attired, snuck out of the room. Carius moved to the corner and leaned against the wall to watch the strange proceedings.

Lilia was observing as Jorundr stabbed the mop forward over and over again. She kept up a steady stream of advice and occasionally would stop the Nord and demonstrate a technique for him. Carius was surprised at how well she handled the improvised weapon. He was beginning to doubt that she was an alchemist at all. After several minutes the Nord stopped practicing and shook his head.

"No more. I'm about to collapse." He was wiping the sweat from his brow as he moved towards the pitcher of water set out on a table.

"Fine. But you need to improve your stamina. You've done very well considering your circumstances but fatigue can be the death of even the strongest warrior." Lilia was pulling a square table into the middle of the room. She grabbed two chairs and set them down beside it. Going over to her bag she pulled out an armful of books and brought them to the table.

"I've picked these up for you in the Imperial City. You'll find them both entertaining and educating. Did you finish _Aevar Stone-Singer_?"

Jorundr had sat down across from her. "Yeah. That was a good one. I read it twice."

"J'skar tells me you're doing well with your light spell. Let's work on that." At her words Carius pulled away from the wall and stepped forward involuntarily. Training a prisoner with a mop was one thing. Magic was an entirely different matter.

"Does the Countess know about this?" He asked sharply.

Lilia turned to look at him, but she didn't roll her eyes or give him a withering glare. With a patient voice she replied. "Yes, Countess Carvain is fully aware of my lesson plans. In fact it was my recommendation for Jorundr to learn nothing but defensive magic while he enjoys her hospitality as a token of goodwill." She smiled at him. "Carius, please, pull up a chair and join us. I'd be honoured to train you in magic as well."

He shook his head as he answered. "There's nothing to train. I'm not magical at all."

"Nonsense." Lilia chuckled at his answer. "Everyone has magical ability, some amount of magicka that they can tap in to. While some have more than others I've never heard of anyone that had none. Sit down and I'll prove it to you."

Hesitating briefly Carius went to get a chair. He'd always wanted to perform magic but he'd been a natural warrior and had joined the guards as a young man. Magical training had never been available to him and he'd abandoned the thought years ago. But if what she said was true then he wouldn't mind learning a few spells. Maybe she could teach him that useful telekinesis trick of hers.

"Excellent. Now let me just dim the lights." She sent small pale blue clouds of frost at all but one of the torches on the wall. The room was now very dark. "Jorundr, please practice your light spell for us."

The Nord began muttering softly and waving his large hands in the air. Much to Carius' surprise the man began to glow faintly with a green light.

"Very good. Keep casting and try to make your movements smaller. The magicka wants to flow out of you, you don't need to force it." She turned to Carius and spoke softly. "Give me your hands. I want your permission to work with your magicka."

He nodded as he put his bare hands on the table. Looking at them he flinched when she took hold. Her ringed hands were cold, but the hideous tattoo on her left hand shocked him.

"Ugly isn't it? Word of advice - never get drunk in a port town." She gave him a weak smile. "Now close your eyes and focus on your breathing. Try to think about your body, the way it feels, the information coming from all of your senses. Try to let your mind relax, to stop all conscious thought."

Carius closed his eyes and tried to follow her advice. He concentrated on the air flowing in and out of his lungs as he inhaled and exhaled. After a few minutes he felt the strangest sensation. It wasn't at all unpleasant. An effervescent tingling ran under his skin all over his body. It felt good.

"You're a natural." He opened his eyes to find Lilia's eyebrows raised in astonishment. "I'm surprised you never learnt any spells before. I'll start you off with a light spell. Even if something goes wrong no damage will be done. Now close your eyes again and concentrate on your magicka. Some feel it as a warm fire, some as a tingle of sparks, and some as a cool breeze."

"Sparks. It feels like sparks." Carius had closed his eyes and was trying to feel them again.

"Good. Now I'm going to use those sparks to make you glow. Just relax and try to focus on what your magicka does."

The tingling sensation felt as though it was moving outside of him to dance across his skin. But the feeling shifted, and the sparks seemed to settle themselves into a cohesive coating that covered his body.

"Open your eyes." Lilia's voice was smooth and soft.

Looking at his hands Carius was amazed to see them glowing brightly with a green light. His entire body was illuminated. He pulled his arms away and waved them experimentally in the gloom, the table and books lighting up as they moved around. Lilia was smiling and Jorundr was staring with wide eyes at him.

"Wow. I can only glow half as bright. You're really good." His words were awed.

"But I didn't do anything. It's her spell." Carius felt he had merely been a passive observer as Lilia had cast a light spell on him.

"But you did. I may have controlled it but it was your magicka that fueled the spell. I cast through you. My own abilities have nothing to do with the results." She held out her hands. "Come, let me teach you how to cast it on your own. Jorundr, keep working on your spell as well. Raw talent is one thing but practice is the great equalizer."

They spent an hour working on magic. Lilia was so pleased with their progress that she introduced them to a detect life spell. She said it was probably the most useful spell she knew. As Carius practiced it he found he agreed with her. If he could learn how to make it powerful enough it would be a valuable asset in his work.

They were interrupted by the appearance of Ranus, arms loaded down with a heavy tray. Jorundr's meals had improved both in quantity, quality, and frequency since his appearance before Countess Carvain. As the exhausted Nord ate heartily Lilia stood up from the table.

"I don't think there's much more we can do today. I'm sure I've drained both your magicka and your muscles. Enjoy your books and keep practicing. I'll try to return next week." Hearing her words Jorundr abandoned his food and stood up. Stepping around the table he gave her a big hug.

"Thank you again for everything. I promise to be good." She laughed at his words.

"You'd better be. The Countess will kill me if you aren't." She turned to Carius. "Let me just get my things. Would you be so kind as to escort me out?"

Carius didn't hesitate to accept. He had a lot of questions that he wanted to ask her in private. They made their way in silence out to the castle courtyard as Lilia adjusted her cloak and pulled on her gloves. It was already the first week of Sun's Dusk and a thick layer of snow sparkled under the light of the stars. The night air was crisp.

"Carius, I wanted to apologize for my behaviour to you the last time we met. I thought you were working with Tyrellius and I was angry. I'm sorry." She had turned to face him and she looked sincere.

"Thank you. Don't worry about it." He waved away her words. "You're not trained in alchemy at all, are you?"

She laughed at the question. "I'm knowledgeable in many subjects, but master of few. One doesn't need to be skilled to understand the concepts behind something and teaching is a talent in its own right. When I do need to earn some septims I do so through alchemy, so I'm an alchemist by profession. But I'm more of a student in practice."

"A student of what?" Carius was curious.

"Everything. Anything. I'm always training whenever I can."

"Speaking of training, what are you preparing Jorundr for?" Her smile fell a little at the question and he noticed her eyes dart around the deserted courtyard.

"Well, I'll tell you, but don't mention it to anyone else." Carius was slightly nervous at her words. He didn't want to get involved with anything underhanded. She continued. "Ultimately it will be up to Jorundr, but I'm trying to prepare him for a career with the Legion. I think he would make an excellent guard, like yourself. But probably not here in Bruma."

She surprised him with her answer. He'd half been expecting her to admit she was training the Nord to become her own personal mercenary.

"That's a unique idea. It'll be interesting to see how it turns out. But why are you teaching him about magic and how to wield a mop? We don't use those skills." If she continued her eclectic lessons Jorundr would be ill prepared indeed.

"Staff. How to wield a staff, not a mop. And I know that those skills aren't taught, which is why I'm teaching them. Are you going to tell me that being able to heal yourself or light dark places with magic would be of no use to a guard? That understanding the strengths and weaknesses of a warrior armed with a staff is pointless? Besides, I don't think I could get away with teaching him about swordfighting. At least not yet." She shrugged her shoulders as she finished speaking.

He had to admit, her words made sense. At the very least Carius could see the benefits of magical training. "Healing spells? You're going to teach Jorundr those?"

"Absolutely. It's vital to learn restoration magic if your job is dangerous. In my opinion every soldier should be taught a basic healing spell or two."

"When will you be teaching him how to do that?"

She grinned at him. "Why Carius, I do believe you would like to join us for that lesson. You're more than welcome to. In fact, you or any other guard of Bruma who so wishes may join us whenever they like. Sharing my knowledge with the Countess' guards is a small way for me to reward her kind heart."

He laughed at her last statement. Countess Narina Carvain was said to be many things, but kind hearted was not one of them.

"You think the Countess cold and merciless? Like myself?" She was looking calmly at him and his laughter died away. He was beginning to think that perhaps he had misjudged Lilia's nature. Maybe she saw something in the Countess that he didn't.

"I'm not sure what to think of you." It was her turn to laugh.

"Well, think what you will of me. In the meantime keep practicing your spells. I'll want to see some improvement when I return." She extended her right hand and he immediately shook it. "Until then, take care of yourself Carius."

"You too Lilia." He watched her walk out to the streets of Bruma with a smile. Regardless of the relative merits of her kindness or cruelty she was still the strangest alchemist he'd ever met. 


	41. Chapter 41: Knowledge and Power

The dusty wooden room was cramped and the ceiling low. A small single bed, barely long enough for her to stretch out on, occupied the corner. An empty chest of drawers sat on the opposite wall. Her bag was open on the bed and Lilia was trying to decide what to wear.

She'd spent the night walking back to the Imperial City following the road around the lake. The route was circuitous but it had given her a chance to explore a little. She'd never spent much time at all in Cyrodiil in the past. Growing up her father had been sent mainly to remote parts of the other provinces. Imperial politics within the central province hadn't been his concern. She'd passed through Cyrodiil a few times on her own as she'd searched for skilled masters to learn from but she'd not stopped at the cities. Most of the time she'd merely drifted from one outlying province to the next following the whims of the Gods.

As she'd passed by the deserted forts and Aylied ruins she had marked them on her map. It had been one of her first purchases in Anvil and it was starting to get filled in. This morning she had returned to Raminus to find out what was being done about the Necromancers. She hadn't been pleased to hear that the council had adopted a wait and see approach, but she hadn't vented her frustration at him. He hadn't seemed to be comfortable with the council's decision either.

He had definitely been uncomfortable when he'd given her another task. He'd told her she was to journey to Skingrad and retrieve a book from Count Hassildor. Instantly suspicious of the far too simple assignment she'd tried to get further information out of him, but he'd evaded her questions. She'd been able to see that he was nervous and he'd seemed a little unhappy at sending her off.

The walk to Skingrad had been uneventful and she'd pondered what it was she was being sent to do. Any one of the mages in the Skingrad guild could easily have gone to retrieve the book. So why had she been given the task? Unable to guess at an answer she now found herself trying to decide how best to approach the renowned Count. Fully armoured might be a bit too aggressive, and court dress perhaps a bit too unusual for a Mages Guild Apprentice. Lilia finally decided on her apprentice robes. At least she would broadcast her guild connections.

Lilia hadn't wanted to stay at the Mages Guild, even though she was traveling on guild business, and she found the Skingrad Fighters Guild hall somewhat cramped. Having spent so many nights in the solitude of her single roomed home she had decided to spend her money and had checked into the Two Sisters Lodge on the south side of town.

She left her things at the inn and emerged into the streets of Skingrad. The sky was cloudy with the occasional patch of blue poking through. The scent of freshly baking bread was a delight to her nose. She wandered around exploring the town, visiting the Chapel of Julianos to pray at the altars of the Divines. Each altar bestowed a soft blessing on her and she felt more confident in her odd task.

Walking out of the west gate to head up to the castle perched high above the town she glanced back at Summitmist Manor. She used to wonder just how the five victims of the unusual contract had been connected, and how they could all have been murderers. Lilia had given up hope of knowing the answer to those questions a long time ago. Sithis could keep his secrets - she no longer cared.

After crossing the long stone bridge set high above the road she stepped through the small courtyard of the castle and entered the spacious main hall. The crescent moon emblem of Skingrad was emblazoned on the burgundy hangings placed about the room. Rich carpeting covered the slate floor and fine wood furniture was set around the edges of the hall. Glancing around Lilia noticed an authoritative Argonian speaking with a middle aged Orc. They were discussing the Count's specifications for dinner. It was a very detailed conversation. An older Imperial, dressed in expensive clothes, his dark grey hair pulled neatly back, approached her.

"Can I help you?" He didn't smile as he asked the question.

"I'm here to see Count Hassildor. I'm Lilia, Apprentice of the Mages Guild. I'm here to retrieve a book." The Imperial snickered at her answer.

"Yes, from the Mages Guild you say? Oh, the count is quite aware of your presence here in town. He simply has no interest in granting you an audience at this time. Now that I've seen you myself I can't say that I blame him."

Lilia wasn't sure what to do next. What on Nirn had the council hoped she would accomplish? She waved her left hand at the air as she answered.

"Very well. But expect myself or another guild associate to return." The steward's eyes were following her hand and she noticed that his body had reacted strongly to the sight of her mark.

"Nevertheless, I shall endeavor to change his mind on the subject. Return tomorrow, perhaps he will see you then." With that he walked away leaving Lilia completely confused.

Lilia watched him walk up the broad staircase and disappear behind a door on the upper floor. Curious, she stepped closer to one of the castle guards.

"Who was that I was just speaking with?" Her question startled the young Breton.

"Mercator Hosidus. Chief steward to Count Hassildor." He answered politely.

Lilia's thoughts were dark as she made her way back to Skingrad. Something was definitely wrong with her task, but she wasn't sure what it was. Walking through the east side of the city she made her way to the Fighters Guild. Determined to find a way to fill her time and occupy her thoughts until tomorrow she entered the guild hall. Perhaps she could arrange a sparring match or two.

* * *

It was early morning by the time she made her way up to her room at the inn. The three Skingrad fighters had been more than willing to have a friendly sparring match. She'd borrowed a practice set of heavy armour and had been grateful for it by the time she was done. When the fighters did connect they hit hard, and Lilia had to heal herself of several nasty bruises by the end of the day. At dinnertime they had all journeyed to the Two Sister's Lodge for food and drink. They were very knowledgeable about the surrounding area and had filled Lilia in on the goblin caves and daedric shrines nearby. Her map had received several new markers as she very slowly nursed a mug of ale.

The evening had passed quickly and Lilia had escorted them back to the guild hall. She had 'forgotten' her cloak there. The fighters, exhausted after a day of practice and an evening of drinking, had fallen asleep quickly and Lilia had been able to feed in relative safety.

Mog gra-Mogak was behind the bar, drying the last of the mugs, when Lilia walked in. The Orc gave her a gruff goodnight as she moved to her small room. She was very tired now and she kept her hand on the railing as she made her way up the stairs. Locking the door behind her she managed to change into her night clothes before collapsing on the bed. She couldn't resist the call to sleep.

* * *

She was in a room made out of stone bricks. A grey-blue metal door, intricately detailed, was closed before her. Beside it on the wall a block protruded, a grinning face carved in to it. Lilia didn't know why but she desperately wanted to leave this place. She pressed the block with her right hand and watched as black tar oozed out onto her and in through her skin. She could feel it working its way up her arm and she clawed desperately at the skin, trying to get it out, screaming all the while.

Banging joined her screams as the nails of her left hand tore through the flesh of her right arm. When she heard her name she suddenly snapped out of it. She was standing on the bed, her right arm a bloody mess. The voice of an upset female Orc was calling through the door for her to open up.

"Just a minute." Lilia tucked her right arm behind her, pressing it against her back to stem the bleeding, and opened the door a crack. Peeking out she saw a very irritated looking innkeeper.

"What are you doing up here? If you kept screaming you would have driven my customers away." Mog was trying to peer past the door.

"Mouse. I saw a mouse. Can't stand the things. But it's gone now, so don't worry. Thanks for checking." Lilia closed the door on the innkeepers face and locked it with both the key and magic. Pulling her right arm in front of her she had to steady herself against the wall as horror washed over her. She'd managed to tear deep into the skin several times. Sending waves of healing magic into the arm she sat on the bed and stared at the floor. What worried her the most weren't the dreams themselves, but the way she became lost in them. If it hadn't been for Mog how much damage would she have done to herself before she'd finally awoken?

* * *

Looking up at the distant stars Lilia tried to take comfort in them. A bitterly cold wind was blowing through the fields and she pulled her cloak closer to her as she waited. Stretching out before her the rolling vineyards were lit by the silver light of the moons, and the town was locked up, the citizens tucked in to sleep away the night in safety.

It was a trap, she knew that much. When she'd presented herself earlier that day at castle Skingrad Mercator had told her that the Count would speak with her, but in secret. According to the Imperial the Count would meet with her at two in the morning at a spot just north of Skingrad.

She hadn't grown up in the courts of the Empire without learning how to spot a set up and this one was blatant. But she didn't know what reason Mercator or the Count had for wanting her alone, and she was curious to find out. So she found herself standing up on a large boulder, invisible, with her bow ready. She could see three people approaching but it was the fourth figure that made her consider fleeing. An invisible vampire was trailing the trio as they came towards her. Lilia reconsidered her wisdom in coming alone.

As the three living people came closer Lilia recognized Mercator and the robes of the other two. Necromancers! Again! Would she never be rid of them? Her anger at the sight of them caused her to decide to ambush the ambushers. She took careful aim with her bow and let an arrow fly through the air. Many things seemed to happen at once.

The Necromancer she'd been aiming at collapsed to the ground, but the other one had seen the direction of the arrow's flight and had sent off a fireball at her boulder. She launched herself off to the side, rolling heavily on the ground before standing up again, her invisibility spell lost to her surprise. Lilia fired a stream of shock magicka at the robed figure and was grateful to watch him fall dead in response.

She was running towards Mercator when the finely dressed vampire dropped his invisibility spell and sent a powerful ball of fire into the treacherous steward. Mercator managed to take two steps before his body collapsed, his life force extinguished. Lilia stopped moving and let magical flames flicker on her hands. Taking in the vampire's well groomed appearance, his regal bearing, and the disdainful expression he wore as he looked at her mismatched armour she had a strong suspicion she already knew who he was.

"You impossible fool! At least your gullibility served some useful purpose. I knew about Mercator, but not his friends. Now none of them are a threat any longer." His voice was scornful and Lilia found herself extremely irritated by his attitude.

"Who are you to call me a fool?" The fire dancing over her gauntlets surged as she asked.

"Count Janus Hassildor at your service. A thank you might be in order at this point." His words were patronizing and Lilia extinguished her hands. She wasn't about to murder the Count of Skingrad. Not unless he tried to kill her first.

"A thank you? For what?" She couldn't believe the vampire's ego.

"Do you not recognize a Necromancer when you see one? I suspected Mercator was involved in their cult, but was unwilling to move against him without knowing the identities of his allies. Despite what your council may think I've not thrown in with the Necromancers and would never do so. You may pass along that message." As he spoke suddenly Lilia's odd task made much more sense. She wasn't sure who she was angrier with - the council for using her as a spy, Adrienne for failing to keep the council informed, Raminus for suggesting her as bait, or Count Hassildor for using her for his own purposes.

"And what of the book?" Janus' answer to her question confirmed her suspicions.

"A book of all things, your gullibility knows no bounds it would seem. You believe your council would send you here to merely fetch a book?" He let out a small chuckle of derision. "No, they wanted information on me, and what is going on here. Well, now they shall have it."

Between the vampire's decidedly low opinion of her and her rising anger at the council Lilia fought to keep herself under control. What had the mages expected to happen? Did they think the Count would attack her? Confide in her? At this point she was convinced that not only was Traven an idiot but that the entire council was as well. The Mages Guild was in big trouble with a group of leaders like them to defend it against the forces of Mannimarco.

"I knew they were sending me for something other than a book." She snapped. "And I know a Necromancer when I see one. Do you not see the two dead ones over there? As for a thank you, well, I don't think so. If anything, I believe you owe me an apology."

Count Hassildor arched his right eyebrow coldly. Judging by his appearance he had not been a young man when he'd become a vampire. His hair was gray and straight, smoothed back from his forehead. He had fine wrinkles on his face but they were unlike the dry and puckering type that resulted from not feeding. His eyes were a bit pink and tiny fangs showed when he spoke. Lilia wondered how long he had been a vampire and how frequently he needed to feed. He looked as though he was due for one now.

"An apology?"

"Personally I find it much easier to ask questions when people are still alive. Unless you have a different method." Lilia gestured at the dead body of Mercator Hosidus between them as she spoke. She'd wanted to have a chat with the Necromancer. Perhaps she could finally learn what had caused them to change their tactics. From the stories she'd heard in High Rock Necromancers sought power over life and death and had little interest in the power of politics unless it benefited them directly. Their practices and habits made them abhorrent to others and they tended to seclude themselves away in secret, content with solitude and the company of the undead as they performed their Dark magics.

The Count was staring intently at her with narrow eyes. He didn't seemed pleased at what he saw and his thin lips were so tightly drawn they didn't seem to exist at all. Lilia was uneasy about his expression. While she may not be using her most courtly manners she doubted that was the reason for his attitude. Her stomach lurched when he sniffed dramatically at her.

"You're a vampire." She didn't respond to his flat statement. She'd never considered the possibility that she would run into another vampire in a social setting and had forgotten that her scent would give her away. She just stared back at him, making sure to blink. He eyed her and continued. "And a rather talented little vampire at that. That's a useful spell you have; rather advanced for a Mages Guild Apprentice, wouldn't you say?"

She was glad her body couldn't betray the flurry of thoughts and emotions that ran through her. Panic was the dominant tone. Count Hassildor could use this knowledge against her. Thoughts of fleeing argued with thoughts of murder but neither were able to convince her to act. Instead she remained motionless, blinking and breathing as if to disprove his words.

"There is no reason for me to reveal your condition." Relief coursed through her at his words but small traces of fear remained. The Count had ruled Skingrad for over sixty years and his reputation for his mastery of politics and his profound knowledge of secrets weighed heavily on her mind. She did not doubt that he would keep her disease a secret, but she also knew that he wouldn't hesitate to use it against her, to blackmail her with it, should it serve his purposes.

"Thank you." She managed to force out the words, her voice very small and quiet.

"Now our business here is concluded. Tell your council that the next time they want something from me they come themselves. They don't send someone under false pretenses." With that Janus Hassildor, vampire Count of Skingrad, walked back towards his castle. Lilia watched him go until she couldn't see him anymore and then looked up to the night sky. She'd met another vampire like herself, one that operated within society, one that could answer her questions, and she prayed fervently to the Nine that she need never speak to him again. 


	42. Chapter 42: The Collector

The flaming figure was pirouetting across the cold stone floor, dancing to an unheard melody. The sound of laughter came from the Dark Elf in the armchair across from her but she didn't care. Lilia had finally managed to create a figure out of fire. She was one step closer to her goal.

"It's cavorting!" Fathis was laughing hard at the miniature figure as it leapt around the courtyard. "Atronachs aren't supposed to cavort!"

"It's not cavorting. It's just happy." Lilia had been so delighted when she'd managed to weave her fire into the tiny figure, no taller than a bottle of mead, that she'd completely forgotten to focus on its behaviour and as a result it was busy dancing her emotion of joy around the fort. Next time she'd remember to make it into something a little more serious. With a smile she dissolved it. She was still learning how to create elemental figures, albeit in miniature. Once she'd mastered that art then Fathis would start instructing her on how to use salts to wean them off her magicka.

"Did you have the same unusual results when you studied under Master Fyr?" The Dunmer was breathing slowly, trying to calm himself. A large grin was across his face.

"Pretty close." She shrugged as she answered. Placing her hands on her lap she noticed Fathis' eyes go to the symbol on her left hand. When she'd arrived yesterday he'd actually asked to see it. Apparently Raminus had informed the council that she had been marked when she escaped a Necromancer and the information had leaked out. It was now common gossip throughout the Mages Guild. However, as per standard mage practice, the tale was becoming more and more embellished as it passed through the guild halls. Fathis told her that it was being said that the King of Worms himself had scarred her as she'd fought off an army of his undead minions. He'd also told her that he hadn't believed a word of it. She wasn't sure whether to be pleased or insulted.

After the nocturnal meeting with Count Hassildor Lilia had stood in the cold field under the stars for an hour before deciding what to do next. In her black mood she hadn't trusted herself to return to the council and she had been in no hurry to sleep after her vivid nightmare of the previous evening. She'd finally decided to pay another visit to the Telvanni wizard's tower south of Bravil. With her far too frequent encounters with the students of Mannimarco she really wanted to learn how to summon an elemental ally. All day yesterday the mer had continued her education on the properties of shock, cold, and fire magic. It was only today that he'd begun teaching her how to turn those magics into forms. Lilia found it harder than she'd expected.

"Let's take a break. I don't think I can handle any more dancing elementals right now." Fathis stood up and moved to the central courtyard of the ancient fort. His dwarven cuirass sparkled as he stepped into the sun. Lilia was still impressed that he wore heavy armour at all times. Most mages didn't bother protecting themselves with any form of armour at all. It was a foolish practice by Lilia's standards. All it took was one silence spell and there would be nothing to protect them but the cloth of their robes. Standing up she followed him into the warm sunshine.

"Do you have any magicka left?" He asked.

"Yes, some. Why?" His grin had changed to a mysterious one and she was a little suspicious of him. The Telvanni were a strange lot - you could never know what they were planning.

"Good. There's something I wanted to show you. Come with me." With that he levitated himself off the ground gracefully up to the second story of the fort. Lilia walked over towards the staircase but stopped when he called down to her.

"You don't have enough magicka to levitate up?" His voice was plainly curious.

"Well, it's not that." Lilia's face was sheepish when she looked up at him. She wasn't sure how he would take what she was about to tell him. "It's just that I can't."

His eyebrows shot straight up, pulling the corners of his upturned eyes even higher. "Can't levitate? You spent three weeks at Tel Fyr and you didn't learn how to levitate?"

"I can levitate. Sort of. Let me show you." She ran over to a small crate and carried it into the centre of the courtyard. "The spell works, but I can't go up or down with it. I only float."

With that she cast the levitation spell she'd been taught and stepped onto the crate. Stepping off it she was walking above the ground at the same height as the wooden box. Fathis was shaking his head down at her from above as she paced in circles in the air.

"Tell me how you managed to survive three weeks in a Telvanni tower without being able to levitate."

"I climbed." She stopped moving and looked up at him. The corners of his mouth were twitching.

"Climbed? Climbed what?" His voice was unsteady with suppressed laughter.

"The walls. I would cast my spell and pull myself up the walls until I was high enough to touch the next level. I'd walk on the air to the overhang and drag myself up. Mushroom towers have many natural handholds." The mer above her was now doubled over, clutching his sides as he laughed loudly at the mental image of the woman below him blindly scaling the walls of the Tel of the renowned Divayth Fyr. Lilia walked over to the staircase and made her way up to join him.

"I told you I amused Master Fyr." She said to the wizard, who was busy drawing in deep breaths between laughs. He managed to straighten himself up.

"Yes, I believe you mentioned that." He took a big gulp of air. "Come." With a wave of his hand he led her into his open air alchemy lab, occasionally snickering in amusement. Going over to a large wooden chest in the corner he waved his hand to unlock the magically held lock. No thief could lockpick magicka. He bent over and rummaged around in it, his robe blocking Lilia's view. Letting the lid slam down he straightened up and turned around to show her the item he held in the palm of his hand.

"A key?" A flat black key with a small tab of metal attached was presented to her.

"An arrow. The Arrow of Extrication." From the way he said it she was sure it was supposed to mean something, but she couldn't figure out what. It just looked like a key to her. If it was an arrow then the tab of metal must attach to the shaft, which was currently missing.

"Where's the rest of the arrow?"

"Lost in the history of time." Fathis was smiling at the arrowhead.

"What does it do?" Lilia was very curious.

"I was hoping you could tell me." Fathis was giving her another one of those Telvanni smiles. "You are a Psijic, after all."

"I'm not a Psijic, I've merely trained with them. Where did you get this?" Lilia was hesitant to pick it up. Objects from the history of time often had some disturbing memories attached.

"I purchased it two days ago. A Bosmer was passing through town and offered it for sale. She gave me a very good price."

"A good price for what? You bought it without knowing what it does?" Lilia shook her head as she asked. The one thing she knew well was that the Telvanni were avid collectors of anything magical or powerful. Their Tels were stuffed with their treasured possessions. Fortunately for the province of Morrowind and the Empire in general the powerful wizards were so busy trying to show up each other with items and feuding over internal politics that they left everyone else alone.

"I bought it knowing you were coming back for lessons. Take it. Tell me what it does." Fathis was urging the little black key on her.

"Very well." She took the key in her hand and relaxed her mind, letting it stretch out to infinity. The paradox was that she couldn't ask the universe to tell her anything, she could only allow it to reveal what she wanted to know. Flashes of images came to her. The Bosmer who'd owned it had been a cute little mer with large brown eyes. She also had rather unusual tastes.

"Ew!" Lilia tossed the key back at Fathis as if it was on fire. Conjuring up a mixture of flame and ice she washed her hands thoroughly as Fathis gave her the strangest stare.

"Well? What did you see? What does it unlock?" He was clutching the arrowhead tightly.

"Let's just say you don't want to know where it's been. Ew." She let magical flames dry her hands. They may be clean, but there was nothing she could do for her mind. The Bosmeri were an unusual race indeed.

Her answer unsettled Fathis and he dropped the key onto his alchemy table. He was looking rather sorrowfully at it as he questioned her. "So it doesn't do anything? I was so sure it was ancient."

"It is." There had been other less unsavoury images that had come to her mind. But they had been few and brief. "It unlocks a secret entrance in an Aylied ruin. But I couldn't tell you where the ruin is, and there's no way I'm touching that thing again."

"Why? Where has it been?" Lilia had been afraid of this. Telvanni were intensely curious.

"I'm not telling you. You don't want to know."

"Yes I do. I bought it, tell me where it's been." Fathis was standing tall and she knew he wouldn't drop the issue.

"I warned you. Let this be your punishment for your curiosity." As Lilia told him what she'd seen the Dunmer blushed as he eyed the key warily. He was highly uncomfortable with his newfound knowledge.

"Ew." He muttered quietly as he floated the key back to the chest, stashing it back inside. He was eyeing it as if it was diseased. For his sake Lilia sincerely hoped it wasn't. 


	43. Chapter 43: Judgmental

"But it is metal! You said that's what you wanted! It's even enchanted." Thoronir tucked a lock of his long honey blonde hair behind his pointed ear. He was gesturing to the staff that lay on the wooden counter. At least, he was trying to pass it off as a staff.

Lilia didn't know whether to laugh or cry. Her next match at the arena was tomorrow morning and she didn't have time to find anything else. Rindir's selection of staves was terrible for fighting. The wood was gnarly and off-balance. She could never keep herself alive with one of those. And all of the enchantments were destructive. The thought of what would happen if she broke a staff of firebolt frightened her terribly. She did have a mage's staff waiting for her at the Arcane University but she was in no hurry to go there.

She hesitated to pick it up. Thoronir's hands were moving above it as he extolled its virtues. His words weren't helping matters. With a small sigh she snatched the garish thing off the counter and held it in front of her.

It did have a good balance, she had to admit that. But the appearance of it, oh Gods, the appearance. The staff was purportedly constructed from silver but none of the metal could be seen for the brightly coloured enamel that coated it. Vibrant green and red stripes swirled down along the length of it. On either end a round knob was coloured in alternate bands of white, pink, and orange. Lilia let the staff reveal its magic to her. It did, confirming her suspicions.

"You ordered me a jester's staff?" She stared in horror at the mer in front of her. She'd trusted Thoronir to find her a good, plain, metal staff. Not this hideous nightmare that she held in her hands.

"It's the Staff of Richaud. It's famous."

"No, it isn't famous. Richaud is famous - famous for being the most entertaining bard to travel the land of Tamriel." The renowned Breton's tales were still told in taverns today. He was even rumoured to have written the song _The Lonely Farmer's Daughter and Her Magic Carrot._

"It's all I have. I thought you would appreciate a famous staff so I ordered it for you." Thoronir looked slightly disappointed and Lilia instantly felt guilty. The Wood Elf, while a bit odd, was incredibly kind to her. She hadn't forgotten that he'd given her valuable cloak back to her for free.

"Let me try it." With a small sigh she whirled around and stabbed the staff along the pathway between display racks. To her surprise she found it very natural to use. Giving it a twirl overhead, careful not to disturb the merchandise, she discovered that the knobs at the end added greatly to the momentum of her movements without contributing too much extra weight. In all honesty it was probably one of the best staffs she'd ever handled. It was most certainly the ugliest.

She gave Thoronir a false smile as she paid for it. At least his prices were reasonable.

* * *

Pointing the staff into the sky she cast its magic. Multicoloured sparks shot out of the end like fireworks and arranged themselves into the form of a familiar orange flower, which shimmered and sparkled as it dissolved down to the sand below. At least she was able to control the image the staff created. Pulling the slightly mashed flower from her cuirass she lay it on the form of the unconscious Redguard and made her way back down to the Bloodworks, waving at the slightly larger crowd as she went. Lilia really didn't want to go down there. She didn't know how she could face the other fighters.

While she wasn't too concerned by other people's opinions of her she didn't enjoy being gawked at. Raminus' betrayal of her confidence had caused her quite a bit of notoriety among Mages Guild members and she'd been stared at openly by a white-haired wizard in funny looking pointed shoes yesterday after she'd left Thoronir's shop. She knew her staff was hideous but he hadn't been staring at the multicoloured weapon. He'd been trying hard to see through the gloves that held it. The staff certainly hadn't improved her standing in the Bloodworks and she was getting quite sick of being judged. Once again she wished she could trade places with anyone else, even the dour Battle Matron. She'd happily spend the rest of her life polishing shields and insulting Owyn if she could look normal, even for just a little while.

Making her way down the blood spattered ramp she heard the sound of one lone person clapping. As she stopped in front of the marble Basin of Renewal she again marveled at its powerful enchantment. It healed her fully in all aspects - fatigue, magicka, and general health. She wondered if she'd ever need to feed or sleep if she had a basin like this available at all times. But it apparently only worked for victorious combatants. Any attempts by anyone to use it at any other time resulted in absolutely nothing at all.

Stepping into the training room she located the source of the sound. Synderius was applauding for her. Heddvild was standing in an archway whispering to a yellow team member Lilia didn't recognize. She was able to hear their most unkind comments as the Nord and the Altmer giggled cruelly and pointed. Agronak Gro-Malog, the grey skinned Orc, was giving her a very odd look. Not wanting to talk to Owyn right away she made her way over to Synderius and pulled him by the hand into the corner of the room, preventing him from further applause. She gave him a weak smile.

"Thanks, but it's not necessary. I know how I look out there." She was whispering towards his right ear. A hit with a warhammer had damaged the hearing in the left one.

"Oh, you don't look that bad. You do move quickly." He was being so nice to her. She really appreciated it. The Dunmer continued. "I know about Owyn's terms. I spoke with Hundolin and he said that attendance is better this week than last. If you keep this up you could make Brawler by the end of your probation next week. Owyn would have to let you keep fighting then."

"Thanks." Her smile was bigger this time. She moved to go towards the archway but Synderius' hand shot out and grabbed her arm. He moved rather quickly himself.

"Wait." He frowned a little as he hesitated to speak and Lilia regarded him curiously. "I'm not sure how to say this. I mean, I don't want you to take it the wrong way."

Lilia was now distinctly uneasy. The mer better not have a crush on her. She had absolutely no desire for any kind of romance in her life right now. Or her unlife, as it were. He cleared his throat nervously before proceeding.

"It's just that you should probably have some training. I can teach you, if you want. I know you're not very comfortable out there." He looked incredibly guilty and Lilia had to resist the urge to laugh. For such a lethal fighter he was really very nice.

"That's kind of you to offer. I'd love to take lessons from you." She meant it. Watching the fighters training and sparring had reminded her of the difference between talented and master. While she was definitely holding back on her skills, instead whirling her staff around dramatically and leaping around the arena for the entertainment of the crowd, she'd still welcome an opportunity to learn from a Gladiator. By the time the combatants made it that high up the ranks they were very good. They had to be.

Relief showed plainly on his face. They made arrangements for the where, when, and how. With a final word of thanks she made her way through the unoccupied archway. Ysabel Andronicus, the Battle Matron and personal trainer of the Grand Champion, gave her a withering look of contempt. Owyn was standing in the far corner looking as though his stomach was bothering him. She knew he thought her a fool and that her continued survival defied his expectations. Synderius had confided that Owyn bet against her matches. It gave her a small sense of satisfaction to know that he was losing money. Unlike the Dark Elf he wasn't very nice at all.

"Well well. Looks like you survived. Here are your earnings." He tossed a small leather coin purse at her. "Same time next week."

Lilia gave him a nod and turned to go. She really wanted to get out of the blue team armour - it was irritating her thighs. Owyn's words made her turn back and stifle an oath.

"Oh. Next week you're fighting a mage in a match that will determine who moves up to Brawler. The announcer already let your fans know."

As she made her way up to the fresh air and sunshine outside the arena she cursed Owyn several different ways in her head. Nobody came to mage battles. Either the mage was so powerful that they quickly took out the warrior, or vice versa. There was no way she could get people to come, garish staff of shimmering sparks or not. Walking towards the Arboretum gateway she found a Khajiit falling into step with her. His brown and white mane was cropped short and bound up with a brown felt headband. He held a small pad of parchment in one hand and a quill in the other. His tail was curled around a bottle of ink, holding it ready beside his quill.

"Are you Tiger Lily?" At the question she stopped and gave him a large smile. If he was a fan wanting an autograph she would certainly give it, despite her instincts to the contrary. She again wondered what would happen if she failed in the Arena. What would the Gods do to her?

"Yes. I always have time for a fan. And you are?" She moved to grab the pad but the Khajiit pulled it out of reach.

"I'm not a fan. I'm Ra'Jiradh of the Black Horse Courier." Her stomach gave a slight lurch at the mention of the useless free newspaper of Cyrodiil. Half the stories were fakes, and the other half were so embellished they were almost unrecognizable as truth. The paper was very popular and stores paid large amounts of money to have their ads placed throughout. She seriously doubted the newspaper's popularity would hold if they ever charged even a nominal fee for its delivery. She highly suspected it was the free portion of the equation that kept its circulation so high.

"Nice to meet you. What can I do for you?" Her smile was nowhere near as large now.

"I was wondering if I could interview you. Get your thoughts on life in the Arena, your training schedule, and your views on your upcoming opponents. According to Heddvild you're a most…unusual combatant." His smile revealed his impressive fangs. Or was it a sneer?

"I would be more than happy to." In her head Lilia thanked the Nine for the yellow team Champion's big mouth. Perhaps the Black Horse Courier would be good for something after all. 


	44. Chapter 44: Scourge of the Mud Crabs

The trees and shrubs of the Arboretum district were stripped of their foliage and stood naked under the cold grey sky. The discarded leaves, damp with last night's rain, mixed with the decaying corpses of flowers and grasses in a mass of withered brown. It was the third week of Sun's Dusk and winter hadn't yet covered the city in a forgiving blanket of snow, clothing it to await the return of sun and warmth.

Raminus was in a foul mood as he made his way past the ancient marble statues of the Divines that ringed the oasis of nature in the midst of the Imperial City. A copy of the latest _Black Horse Courier_ lay under foot and he purposefully stepped on it, pushing it into the muddy cobblestone path.

Walking through the large gateway he looked quickly up at the high walls of the Arena before him. The circular stadium, made out of the same white stone as the rest of the city, looked ominous in the weak grey light of the day. Gamblers, spectators, and curiosity seekers were making their way through the large metal entrance. A blond Wood Elf was busy arranging bets, surrounded on all sides by impatient gamblers.

Despite his attentions being demanded by so many others the Bosmer called out to Raminus as he headed towards the stairs to the upper gallery.

"Mage! Don't you want to place a bet? First wizard's duel all year!" Raminus looked coldly at the mer who shrugged in response and turned back to those who were interested in gambling.

He climbed the stairs to the upper gallery. Most of the seats here were still available. The middle gallery, considered the best spot from where to see the action, was almost full. The lower gallery was slightly more occupied than the upper gallery, but still had many spaces free. Looking at the crowd Raminus spotted several Mages Guild Apprentices sitting in a group and chatting happily. They should be in lecture right now, but as he scanned the faces in the other galleries he noted their teacher sitting on the level above them, speaking to two other scholars.

Not in the mood for company he found a seat in the middle of an empty section and sat down. As he stared at the pale sands of the Arena floor he again pondered just what he was going to do to Lilia if she happened to survive the match.

It had been over a week and a half since he'd last spoken to her, giving her the task to go fetch a book from Count Hassildor. Raminus hadn't been pleased with the plan. She had been unaware that she was being used to test the Count's loyalty and the council had forbidden him from warning her of the Imperial's unique nature. Traven had been the one to suggest sending her and her ugly mark under the false pretenses of obtaining a book. The Arch-Mage had reasoned that an escaped worm thrall would be too tempting a target for a Necromancer to resist.

Since then she hadn't reported back to the council and Count Hassildor had declined any requests of Adrienne's to speak with him. Raminus himself had been sent to Skingrad to try and find out what had happened and Hal-Liurz, the Count's efficient Argonian steward, had ordered him to leave in a very polite fashion. She had taken over the duties of Mercator Hosidus, the Count's Chief Steward, who had gone missing. What worried Raminus was that there weren't even any rumours as to what had happened to the man.

As for Lilia she had been gallivanting freely around Cyrodiil. Jeanne Frasoric had written detailed letters outlining her visits to castle Bruma and her meetings with J'skar. The guild hall leader's notes had left the distinct impression that the Breton was a little peeved she hadn't been able to befriend the woman that was purported to have sent Mannimarco fleeing from her terrible wrath. Raminus regretted that the rumours had gotten so out of hand. The only things he could picture fleeing from Lilia's wrath would be little mud crabs, inching away in terror.

She'd also been to the guild hall in Chorrol. A very terse note from Teekeus had mentioned her visit to Erthor. His report had hinted that the visiting Bosmer conjurer she'd brought to Chorrol was doing nothing to enhance the aroma of the guild hall. He had been rather vague as to Erthor and Athragar's latest experiments with scamps. Apparently it had something to do with dishes.

Fathis Aren had also been a frequent host of hers. Rumour had it that she occasionally spent the night at the Dunmer's tower south of Bravil. Raminus highly doubted that the two were having an affair but stranger things had been known to happen when mages and romance collided.

What irritated him the most is that she had visited the Imperial City without bothering to come to the Arcane University. Ontus Vanin, retired Master Wizard and worst gossip of them all, had seen her wandering through the Market district last week carrying what he described as the most hideous jester's staff he'd ever seen. From the gossip that he'd heard of the new Arena combatant's unusual choice of weapon Raminus had put two and two together and guessed that she was fighting under the moniker of Tiger Lily. The latest broadsheet from the _Black Horse Courier_ had bolstered his assumptions.

The article hadn't been particularly flattering. The interviewer's tone had been unpleasant about her refusal to discuss her real name or where she'd received her training. It had also blown up her next match to something of epic proportions, touting it as the first true wizard's duel to be held all year. But her own words had been recorded for all to read and Raminus remembered them by heart.

When asked as to who she would bet on in a match between two equally skilled opponents, one a mage and one a warrior, the Pit Dog shook her head. "Neither. But I'd put my money on a properly trained Battlemage every time."

She'd insulted the guild with her flip remarks. Every guild member knew that there was no question as to who would win the hypothetical match. The mage would, of course. And the comment about properly trained Battlemages rankled Raminus. While he didn't personally care for Maranique Julalanie she appeared to work hard at overseeing the education of the Imperial Legion's most specialized and deadly soldiers. The magically enhanced voice of the announcer broke into his thoughts.

"Good citizens of the Imperial City, welcome to the Arena! Are you ready for a bloodbath? The winner of this match will advance in rank, so the stakes are high. Pit Dogs, show us what you're made of. Lower the gates!"

There was no mistaking the dusky skin that peeked out from the blue team armour. Lilia looked utterly ridiculous, dressed as a warrior, flower woven into her cuirass, with undoubtedly the most garish staff to grace the face of Nirn held firmly in her hands. Her mithril helm hid her hair from view. The yellow team warrior was a young Altmer who wore nothing but his light raiment and carried no weapon. He wasn't a member of the guild but High Elves didn't need to be in order to be dangerous mages.

The mage attacked first by sending a fireball at his opponent. Lilia twirled out the way and hid behind a pillar. The Altmer moved to get her in view to follow up his initiative but was unable to do so as she unleashed a shower of frost in his direction. The crowd roared but Raminus frowned. Her spell had been terribly cast. The magical frost had been such a poorly concentrated cloud that the High Elf didn't even bother dodging out of the way. A layer of snow coated his armour, melting almost instantly from the heat of his body.

The match continued in much the same fashion. The High Elf would send out deadly streams of magicka at Lilia, and she would jump, roll, or dodge out of the way. The magical attacks she sent back were the most ineffective that Raminus had ever seen. Her lightning spells arced wildly and her fireballs were as deadly as a sleeping kitten. The majority of the crowd was enthralled by the match, but he wasn't happy. She was an embarrassment to the guild.

With a flourish the Altmer sent an intense ball of cold magicka at Lilia, who was standing in the very centre of the Arena. This time she didn't dodge. Instead she dropped her staff and caught the frost spell in her hands before tossing it high overhead. The magical sphere burst, releasing glittering crystals of ice that twinkled in the pale light of the morning sun. Her sudden change in tactics surprised her opponent causing him to pause briefly before moving to cast another spell.

That small hesitation had been all Lilia needed. A short jet of green magicka shot out from her right hand and the Altmer toppled over on to his back, stiff from the paralyzation spell. Her opponent no longer a threat she picked up her ugly staff and sent a burst of multicoloured sparks overhead. Raminus raised an eyebrow at the image of a tiger lily that floated magically in the air. Lilia removed the flower from her armour and held it in the palm of her hand. Moving as if blowing a kiss she magically floated the blossom over to land in the Altmer's frozen hand. She waved brightly to the spectators in the galleries as she exited to the Bloodworks below.

Raminus watched the immobile High Elf as he was carried down the yellow team's stairs. Something didn't add up. Lilia's offensive spells had been terrible - hugely visual and highly ineffective. But she'd used a somewhat strong paralyzation spell on the mer and she'd managed to catch his frostball. Why hadn't she just paralyzed him at the start of the match?

Moving to the staircase he could hear the group of Apprentices chatting below. They were debating intensely over Tiger Lily's talent, or lack thereof. Several were pointing out how useless her offensive spells had been, but a few were somewhat awed over how she'd dealt with the frostball. Raminus shook his head. When he'd been a young Apprentice it had been a common practice to learn emergency techniques of handling destruction magic. Now they seemed to skip that lesson and go straight to spell reflection instruction. He didn't entirely approve of Caranya's condensed curriculum.

He made his way out of the Arena overhearing the moans, oaths, and exclamations of joy as the gamblers discussed the outcome of the match. It seemed the majority had put their money on the Altmer to win. Leaving them behind Raminus walked over to wait beside the high wall of the stadium. The exit from the Bloodworks would bring Lilia right past him.

It took much longer than he had anticipated before she emerged. She still wore her helmet, and her staff was strapped to the back of her Arena armour. She was walking very quickly and Raminus had to jog to catch up to her.

"Apprentice Lefevre." Lilia stopped and whirled to face Raminus. She was the same height as him, and her grey eyes were searching his own. After a few moments of silence he realized she was waiting for him to speak.

"We need to talk."

"Yes, I think we do. Not here. Come." Her words were clipped and her voice quiet. Without waiting for a reply from him she stalked off towards the Arboretum. Raminus followed as she led him through the district and out across the bridge to the University. Instead of entering the open gate she veered off the path and down to the shore of Lake Rumare, where they'd first spoken. He was pleased to notice that there were no mud crabs on the rocky beach this time.

She had her back to the water and her arms crossed in front of her when she finally stopped. Again she seemed to be waiting for Raminus to start the conversation.

"I hope you have a very good reason for failing to report back to the council."

She snorted softly at his words. "I was sent to retrieve a book that didn't exist. Since the task wasn't real then there's nothing to report, is there?"

"Nothing to report? We both know that the book was not the reason for your trip to Skingrad. Did you see the Count? What happened to Mercator?" He wasn't pleased with her attitude.

"So you freely admit it!" She stabbed an accusing finger at him. "Tell me, who's decision was it to try and get me killed? Yours? Traven's?"

He was a little taken aback by her paranoia. The council had sent her merely to discover the attitude of the Count. They'd never considered that she would be in any danger. They thought her unique mark would cause him to speak freely with her or perhaps betray his allegiance in some other fashion. While Janus Hassildor may be a vampire he wasn't a fool. Even if he was a Necromancer he'd never murder a Mages Guild representative, at least not openly.

"It was not the council's intention to place you in a difficult situation. I wanted to warn you about the Count's unique nature, but…"

"Count Janus Hassildor." Her arms were again crossed in front of her and she was muttering darkly at Raminus' shoes. "His 'unique nature' as you so delicately put it has nothing to do with the fact that I was an unwitting pawn in your schemes." She looked up into his eyes. "I trusted you Raminus. You betrayed my confidence and sent me into a trap."

Her words stung and he found his anger melting away. Trying to look at it from her perspective he could better understand why she'd been avoiding him. When she'd told him about her experiences with Ullicetta gra-Krog he'd gotten the impression that he was the first to hear the story.

"I'm sorry. But I had to inform the council." Her eyes narrowed in displeasure but he continued. "Since you were planning on wandering through Cyrodiil with your mark freely visible I thought it best that the Mages Guild members were forewarned. I didn't want anyone to attack you by mistake, like I almost did."

She frowned at the boulder beside him obviously weighing his words. "I wasn't planning on waving it around everywhere. Gloves can cover it just as easily as magic." She looked suddenly back up at him. "Whose idea was it to send me to Skingrad?"

"Arch-Mage Traven's." Raminus remembered the meeting well. The five members of the council of mages had all been present; Irlov Jarol, Caranya, Maranique Julalanie, Hannibal Traven, and himself. He'd raised the topic of the recent Necromancer activity and they'd been debating in circles about what to do, or what not to do. Raminus had been pushing for investigation into the recent burst of attacks and he'd been beset by questions about his sudden knowledge and interest in the subject. After he'd told them about Lilia's recent experiences in Cyrodiil he'd briefly told them about her misadventure with the Necromancer Orc Shaman. It was Caranya who'd pointed out that she would make an excellent divining rod to test the loyalties of suspect individuals. Traven had merely followed the idea to its logical conclusion and the council had voted 4-1 to send her off to investigate Count Hassildor under false pretenses. Raminus had been the lone dissenter and had been outraged when he'd been forbidden from warning Lilia in any way. He hadn't been comfortable with it but his loyalty lay with the council. Looking at the unhappy face of the woman before him he briefly regretted his decision.

"Mercator is dead." Her quiet words surprised him. Raminus hadn't expected to hear that. "He was a Necromancer. He arranged a trap for me under the guise of a secret meeting with the Count. Two other Necromancers accompanied him. They're both dead as well."

"You fought and killed three Necromancers?" He remembered that she'd mentioned killing six of them at Wellspring cave but the Battlemages that had been sent to retrieve the bodies of Eletta and Zarasha for proper burial had only found a small amount of ashes. Raminus hadn't doubted that Necromancers had been behind the attacks but he'd thought she'd increased the number of them out of fear and shock. New Battlemages often experienced the same exaggerated memories.

"I killed two. Count Hassildor dealt with Mercator." She spat out the steward's name. "The Count has not thrown in with the Necromancers and he'd never do so. And you can tell your council that he doesn't appreciate having representatives sent to him under false pretenses. The next time they want something they go themselves."

He was not happy about her story. Necromancers had attacked her and the Count had become involved. Janus' refusal to meet with Raminus made perfect sense to him now. The vampire would have taken satisfaction from keeping the council in the dark. His network of informants was a constant source of amazement and Raminus didn't doubt for a moment that Lilia's avoidance of the council had gone unnoticed. His thoughts were distracted by the appearance of a mud crab crawling out of the lake behind her.

"I'm sorry. If I'd known of the danger I would never have sent you."

She sighed and let her arms fall to her side. "Hmph. I'll forgive you this time. But if you or the council ever try to use me again…"

Raminus flinched as the mud crab behind her exploded with a loud pop, claws and legs flying out from the sizzling shell. Lilia's smile was cruel as she watched Raminus' reaction.

"See you around, Master Wizard Polus." With that she disappeared in a flash of white light, leaving him standing alone on the beach with the still steaming pieces of mud crab strewn before him. She may have decided to trust him again but he wasn't sure if he could trust her. She hadn't moved or spoken when she'd exploded the creature and she could teleport. He'd forgotten that she mentioned she could do that. Those were not standard practices of a new Apprentice. Fathis Aren's letter came to his mind. He'd initially dismissed it as typical Dark Elf arrogance, the mer's idea that she should be allowed access to the University without acquiring all of her recommendations. Raminus now suspected that the Dunmer knew something about Lilia that he didn't. Perhaps it was time for a trip to Bravil. 


	45. Chapter 45: Body Language

"Right left right. Pause. Left right left. Pause." The softly accented voice of a Bosmer was barely audible over the faint strains of music. Lilia stopped walking through the entrance hall of castle Bruma and looked towards the source of the sound. She noted that Countess Carvain was not currently in attendance in the throne room ahead of her. It was late Middas afternoon and the braziers that lit the high stone room were trying valiantly to provide heat as well as light. Nonetheless she kept her gloves on and her cloak drawn tight around her thick robe. The castle must have been built by Nords. Only the cold-resistant race would fail to notice how horribly draughty the place was.

She stepped slowly towards the sound, drawn by the sweet notes of the lyrical tune. Though she had no talent for playing instruments, and a voice that could be considered adequate at best, Lilia simply adored music. Any and all types were a joy to her; the haunting discordant melodies of the Argonians as they played pipes made out of swamp reeds, the militaristic drums and percussion of the desert tribes of Hammerfell, the slow and soothing songs of the magical stringed instruments of the Summerset Isles, and the rousing jigs and reels of the Nords which were best accompanied by much ale and laughter. She recognized the sounds of a waltz, a favourite dance of the Imperial nobility, most likely coming from an enchanted source. The noise was originating in a room behind the Countess' audience chamber and Lilia highly doubted that an orchestra would be able squeeze into the space.

"And spin and…"

"Ogre loving whore of Malacath!" Countess Narina Carvain's voice burst through the air in a mixture of pain and frustration. Lilia hurried toward the oaths.

She found Narina sitting on the floor clutching her left knee through her green velvet dress, sending waves of restoration magic into it. A middle aged Bosmer, his brown hair pulled up into a topknot, was looking down unconcernedly.

"Lilia." The Countess extended her leg and flexed it experimentally as she gave the newcomer a soft smile. "Trick knee. Happens often when I spin. This is Tuundir, my dance instructor."

The mer bowed graciously to Lilia, who curtsied in return. She offered her hand to the Imperial woman who was moving to rise from the floor. Narina waved it off and stood under her own power. Lilia admired the noble. She was very caring and concerned about her town and its citizens, but she maintained a strong and independent attitude at all times. It was never easy to rule alone especially for a young and attractive Countess.

"I apologize once more for my shortcomings." The Wood Elf had a hint of irony in his voice. He looked at Lilia as he continued speaking. "If I was taller and stronger I could help the Countess with her spins. Alas, I was not designed to do so."

"Tuundir, I've told you before that I'm more than pleased with your abilities." Narina tucked a strand of her auburn hair that had escaped back into the braid she wore. Her brown eyes sparkled with determination as she offered her hand once more to the Wood Elf. "Shall we continue?"

"I'm sorry for my intrusion. Please, carry on." Lilia excused herself and made her way quickly out of the room and down to the jailor's desk. Allian was standing behind it whirling a mop handle high above him, the ragged woolen mop head leaned forlornly against his chair. He blushed at Lilia's arrival.

"Lilia! I wasn't expecting you until tomorrow." He quickly put the improvised staff down on the desk.

She'd been trying to spend each Turdas working with Jorundr but she hadn't wanted to stay in the Imperial City after her embarrassing battle to make Brawler and her hasty discussion with Raminus, so she'd come straight up to Bruma. Thanks to the advance publicity in the _Black Horse Courier_ the Arena had the best attendance level and profit record in a decade for a Middas morning match. Her strategy to appear ineffective seemed to have worked and most of the gamblers had bet against her. Hundolin had raked in a small fortune and Owyn had been forced to concede that she'd upheld her part of the bargain. She was now free to fight when she wished as she wished. Currently she was wishing for never again.

Lilia also hoped that her pitiful magical performance might help counteract the ridiculous rumours floating around the Mages Guild about her, at least if any of the mages in the audience had recognized her she was sure the gossip would quickly spread. She was convinced that the fanciful tales of her battles with Mannimarco were doing nothing to help keep her out of the thoughts of the Necromancers. Raminus certainly hadn't a very high opinion of her skills to begin with. She still remembered how surprised he'd been when she'd finished their conversation in such a dramatic fashion. A part of her wanted to make the Imperial reconsider his opinion of her, to make him think twice before sending her out into so readily into danger or spreading her secrets. A darker part of her had wanted to frighten him in punishment for his betrayal. All of her had been pleased to murder the mud crab.

"Allian, good to see you. Your hand motions are improving nicely." She pointed at the dungeon. "I need to see Jorundr right away."

"Of course." The Imperial quickly scratched her name down into the visitor's log and pulled out his jangling key ring. He led her down and opened the heavy metal door for her. Stepping into the main room she saw Jorundr sitting on a chair with his elbows propped on the table in front of him, a copy of _A Dance in Fire, Volume 2_ in hand. Lilia had been slowly requesting privileges for her student and the Countess had been graciously approving them. He now had some furniture in his cell, his meals were much more appropriate to sustain his massive frame, and he even had a few changes of clothes. Unfortunately it looked and smelled as if he hadn't yet had his weekly bath.

"Lilia! What are you doing here? It's only Middas. J'skar just left an hour ago." Jorundr put his book down and was waiting for Allian to unlock the barred gate between them. In addition to her own training and the small library that she was building for him Lilia had engaged the services of a few local instructors to tutor the Nord during the week. J'skar had been more than happy to accept her gold and provide Jorundr with introductory magical training. The Khajiit had told Lilia that it was driving Jeanne up the wall that he was visiting the castle regularly while she'd never been invited. Neither of them had seen fit to correct the Breton's mistaken assumption as to who was doing the hosting and where.

Lilia pulled off her gloves and moved into the cell. "We don't have much time. Quick, take your clothes off."

Jorundr gave her a very familiar look. Her unusual training methods often caused him to raise his dark eyebrows as he blinked rapidly down at her but he complied with her bizarre request. She noticed Allian blushing wildly. The skin on the back of his neck was red as he suddenly needed to stare at a torch on the opposite wall. Once Jorundr was stripped to his undergarments Lilia grabbed the chair and pulled it behind him. Standing on it she held her hands above his head.

"Let me know if it's too hot or too cold." She said. Jorundr let out a small noise of surprise as water rained down on him. Lilia was busy mixing fire and ice magically above him. Allian had stopped blushing and was now staring openly at the unusual sight.

"I don't suppose you could fetch a bar of soap?" She hopefully called out to the highly confused jailor. He nodded and walked quickly out of the room.

"A little warmer would be nice. I don't think you're doing this just to ogle my body." Jorundr turned his head to glance back at her. Even with her standing on a chair he was still a couple of inches taller. "Are you going to tell me what this is all about?"

"I've decided that you need a new tutor. Your lesson has already started so we need to hurry to get you presentable."

"Of course. How completely logical." He replied sarcastically. Allian had returned with a sliver of soap and Jorundr was now busy working it up into a lather.

"Are you going to teach us how to do that?" The jailor was pointing at the swirling mass of magicka between her hands.

"No. It uses magic from the school of destruction." The Imperial looked disappointed at the answer. Lilia sent a final torrent of water down on Jorundr. Sniffing she found that even her vampire nose now approved.

She jumped off the chair and sent a gentle magical warmth over the bemused Nord.

"That feels good. Can you teach me that one?" Every part of him and his linen under things were now dry.

"No, destruction again." Lilia was rummaging through the small stack of clothes beside his bedroll. She tossed the nicest pair of pants and tunic that she could find over her shoulder at Jorundr. Once he was dressed she looked at him with a critical eye.

"Godsdamn it!" She cursed as she remembered that she was supposed to buy him a pair of shoes. Jorundr was looking down at his clothes, he obviously thought the outburst was due to something wrong with his ensemble.

"Allian, quick, is there anyone who has feet as big as his?" Lilia pointed at the Nord's feet. Jorundr was now examining them in complete confusion, unable to determine their offense.

The imperial wrinkled his brow for a moment. "You could try Captain Burd. He's got the biggest feet of all the guards."

Lilia was already running to the barracks as she called back over her shoulder. "Don't go anywhere. I'll be right back."

* * *

Paperwork was the least favourite portion of a guard's job. The amount of lists and forms and reports and logbooks could quickly become overwhelming if not looked after promptly. With a sigh Carius pulled out a new report to review. It was almost the end of the month and the patrol's reports needed to be filed before the first of Evening Star.

The sudden sound of footsteps tore his attention away from a less than riveting account of a man who may or may not have been drunk but who had definitely been asleep under a bush near the Chapel of Talos. Looking up he saw Lilia run into the room from the jailor's area and head straight to Captain Burd.

"Captain Burd. Good to see you again. I know it's an odd request but do you have a pair of shoes I can borrow?" She was moving over towards the Captain's room and Carius was unable to hear Burd's reply as he followed her in. Apparently the Nord did have an extra pair and she emerged back into the barracks carrying two old linen shoes. She nodded at Carius as she ran back towards the dungeons.

He shook his head and tried to focus his attention back to the report in front of him. No matter how hard he tried he couldn't stop wondering why she had needed a large pair of shoes so urgently. It took him twice as long as normal before he'd finished the last few reports. His task for the day complete Carius couldn't resist his curiosity any longer. He made his way past the empty jailor's desk to the equally empty dungeon.

Looking around he even tried his detect life spell before he muttered a soft oath. Lilia, Allian, and Jorundr were missing. Had she decided to break the Nord out of prison? He highly doubted it. She didn't seem like the type who'd want a bounty on her head. Moving quickly he went to the entrance hall. Ertius was standing guard beside the large pine doors that led out to the courtyard. Carius made his way over to speak to the guard.

"Has Lilia been through here?"

"She came in about an hour ago. But she hasn't left yet." Carius thanked the Imperial and headed towards the throne room. Perhaps Jorundr had an audience with the Countess scheduled that he hadn't known about.

The Countess' court was just as empty as the dungeons below it. Carius was now rather concerned about what Lilia was doing roaming around the castle with a jailor and a prisoner in tow. He was sure that no good would come of it. The familiar booming laugh of Jorundr made him start. Without hesitating Carius pushed open the door at the back of the throne room and stepped into the space beyond.

He blinked twice before he finally believed his eyes. Allian was standing against the wall in the most official posture he'd ever seen from the young man. Tuundir was leading Lilia around in a graceful waltz. But it was the sight of Countess Narina Carvain laughing as she was spun around by her Nord prisoner that made him question his sanity.

"Ah, another student. Welcome." The Bosmer had stopped twirling Lilia around and they now stood in front of Carius. While Tuundir may have been pleased to see him the Countess looked less than impressed at the interruption. Carius nodded politely towards her.

"Carius, thank you for fetching me." Lilia moved over to stand beside him. She turned to face Countess Carvain. "Countess, thank you again for your hospitality and your gracious accommodation of my unusual requests. Jorundr, I'll see you tomorrow. Good day Tuundir. It was a pleasure."

She grabbed Carius' arm and pulled him back out the door. She continued pulling him along until he found himself standing outside in the courtyard. When she finally let him go in the early evening light he found her grinning widely, her face lit up by some inner source of delight. To his consternation she began to waltz by herself around the bare stones. The snow had been scraped off to larges piles on the side. It was already winter in Bruma.

"You're teaching him how to dance?" Carius pointed back towards the castle. There was no way that any guard ever needed to know how to dance.

"You sound surprised. Of course I'm teaching him how to dance." She was smiling broadly as she spun around. He had to admit, she was a lovely dancer.

"Why? Please, just tell me why." He ran his hand over the top of his head. She was just too strange for him to predict.

Lilia stopped whirling and looked at him. "Dancing develops coordination and agility. It also improves posture and can be most educational when it comes to body language." She looked the happiest that Carius had ever seen her. Before he could question her further they were both distracted by the anguished cry of an elderly Breton woman. She was heading right towards him.

"I don't care what you say, my husband was murdered! He was no vampire!"

Carius glanced over at his companion. Lilia's large smile had turned into an equally large frown. 


	46. Chapter 46: Brotherhood Betrayed

Lilia watched as Carius worked to calm the woman down. As the Breton explained her story Lilia's mind was racing. How could she have failed to detect another vampire wandering around the town of Bruma? Surely she would have noticed the unchanging aura, smelt the dusty scent that characterized those who shared her disease. Erline Lirrian was bordering on the edge of hysteria as she kept repeating that her husband had been no vampire and that Raynil Dralas, a purported vampire hunter, had murdered him.

Feeling pity for the widow Lilia had asked her if she had anyone she could stay with for a little while. Erline said that Lyra Rosentia was a good friend of hers who would probably take her in. Lilia kept an arm around the tiny gray-haired Breton as they made their way to the Imperial's home. She wanted to get the woman out of the way. She needed to speak with Carius.

Once the widow was safely tucked away with the lovely Lyra Lilia followed Carius as they made their way to the small house that Erline had shared with her husband, Bradon Lirrian. Carius filled her in about the Breton. Bradon worked only at nights and he tended to keep to himself. Erline had found him dead earlier today, stabbed through the heart. Garich Senarel, a Lieutenant of the City Watch, had been assigned the case. From what Raynil had told him, combined with the evidence of a dead vagrant, bite marks in his neck, found in Bradon's basement, Garich had been convinced that the Dunmer had done nothing wrong.

Arriving at the small home Lilia immediately noticed things were not as they should be. She had to resist the urge to smack Lieutenant Senarel for his ignorance. How many hours head start did the murdering Dark Elf have? Garich was busy objecting loudly to Carius about Lilia's presence in the room. She decided to interrupt them before she was ordered to leave or a fight broke out.

"Lieutenant, do you notice anything unusual about the body?" Lilia pointed to the dead Breton lying on the bed.

"Such as?" Unlike most of the Bruma guards he had never warmed up to Lilia. Several of the others would drop by to watch or participate when she trained Jorundr, especially when it came to weapons practice, and the rest would at least nod politely at her as she passed them by. Tyrellius had not been a popular man and the Bruma guards were happy that he was gone. But Garich had always remained aloof and Lilia guessed that it was his ambition that was the cause of his dislike. She suspected that in his mind he should have been the one to bring Tyrellius to justice, not a mere guard and a strange alchemist.

"Well, let's start with the fact that there is a body. Vampires turn into ash when they die." She was trying not to sound snarky as she spoke. Carius closed his eyes and muttered a soft curse and Garich glared at her. Neither man argued with her. There wasn't a vampire in recorded history that didn't dissolve into ash when killed.

"He could have been harbouring a vampire." Garich didn't seem to want to admit his mistake about Raynil.

"Without Erline noticing? Where's the body of the tramp?"

"In the cellar. But you can't go down there. It's off limits…"

Lilia didn't wait for the rest of his words. She'd lifted the trap door and jumped down into the cold stone basement before anyone could move to stop her. The body of a shirtless man lay on the floor in front of her. The skin on his face and hands was badly weathered and only wisps of grey hair clung to his head. His fingertips were blue. Kneeling next to him she bent in to inspect the bite marks on his neck. They were a good imitation but they weren't the real thing. She had too much first hand experience to be fooled.

Carius was kneeling down beside her. His dark brows were knitted together and his jaw was clenched, the tense muscles visible under the layer of thick brown stubble. The man never seemed to shave.

"Look. Vampire fangs are tapered and these wounds aren't." She pulled and pinched the flesh to allow Carius a better view. "Smell his mouth."

The Imperial hesitated briefly before he bent in to sniff at the dead man's mouth.

"Strawberries?" Confusion was clear in his voice.

"In the hands of a highly skilled alchemist strawberries can be combined with other ingredients to make a very effective poison. The resulting brew is sweet and pleasant smelling so it's ideal for use with dessert, fruits, or liqueurs." She noticed that Carius was staring at her. "I told you I was an alchemist. Don't act so surprised."

Lifting up a hand she pointed at the fingertips. "See how they turned blue? That's another sign of poisoning. My theory is that he was dead before he was stabbed."

"And where's the weapon?" Garich's voice called down to her. He had been leaning over the trapdoor watching them as they investigated.

"I don't think it was a weapon. Not a usual one, anyway. It would be something smooth and cylindrical, like a skewer." Lilia highly suspected that the killer would not have left it behind. If Raynil Dralas was smart enough to fake the death of an innocent man, framing it as justified murder in the war against vampires, then she assumed he wouldn't have been foolish enough to leave his fake vampire fang at the scene.

She got up and moved to the trapdoor, climbing back up to the small room above. Her heart ached for Erline. Not only had the little Breton lost her husband of many years but she'd been told falsely that he was a monster who deserved to die. Looking around the well-kept room she took in the homemade hangings, the hand braided rug on the floor, and the pair of wooden lovebirds, hand carved with some skill, placed together on the mantle. Everything spoke of love, comfort, and home. A crushing sadness washed over her and she closed her eyes and fought back tears.

Her emotions had been unpredictable lately. Lilia didn't know what was the problem. It wasn't as if she could present herself at a Chapel and ask to be fixed. The Gods still blessed and healed her so she doubted that a priest would be any more likely to cure her mind for her. Not that she had any idea what was wrong with it in the first place.

"Are you okay?" Carius' whisper was loud to her sensitive ears. She nodded at him and opened her eyes. The emotions had passed and she felt better again.

"Where's Raynil? We need to bring him in." She addressed her question to Garich. He snorted in response.

"We? There is no we. It is my case, and I will be the one to arrest him. Go back to your pet Nord." The man was a lost cause. Without so much as a goodbye Lilia stalked out of the room, stopping to speak with the guard who had been posted outside to monitor the door.

"Marcel, yes?" The Breton gave her a smile, pleased that she had remembered his name. He'd stopped in for a round of mop training, as the guards called it. "Do you know where Raynil Dralas is? I need to ask him a question about vampires."

Carius had emerged from the log house and was listening intently to the answer. "Olav's Tap and Tack. That's what he told Lieutenant Senarel."

Carius was already running off in the direction of the inn. Lilia quickly caught up with him.

"Is it official? Raynil is to be arrested?" She still struggled sometimes with her role as a law-abiding citizen. The temptation to kill Arnora where she'd stood as she'd spouted her lies in Jorundr's home had been very strong, but Lilia knew that if she did something like that she could look forward either to a life on the run or a life behind bars. Neither appealed much. She again blasphemed the Nine in her mind. She hadn't started out as a murderer but she'd become one in their service. It was a concept she still couldn't reconcile.

"Yes. Let's hope he's still here. It's been hours." The warmth from the tavern was like a physical force when they entered the crowded room. Lilia glanced around rapidly and sniffed several times. She was starting to learn how to identify race by smell. Khajiits were the easiest. Their abundance of fur created a very unique aroma. Orcs and Argonians were also highly distinctive. But just recently she'd started to notice the subtle differences between Imperial and Breton, Altmer and Bosmer. There weren't any Dark Elves in the inn tonight.

"Go talk to Olav. I'll get changed." Lilia said before she rushed up to the empty private rooms and unlocked the door to her own. She was becoming another regular at the inn and Olav always put her in the same room at the end of the hallway. Pulling open her bag she fished out her armour and weapons and quickly suited up. In the meantime she could hear Carius moving about in the room beside hers, cursing a slew of curious phrases as he searched the space.

She almost collided with him when she stepped out into the hallway. She snatched the small red journal from his hands and skimmed it as he stared at her bizarre appearance. He'd never seen her dressed for battle before.

"Is that daedric?" He noticed the hilt of the sword sheathed at her side. "Where did you get a daedric shortsword?"

"Family heirloom." She pointed the journal at him. "Do you recognize the description of the cave? That must be where Raynil is headed. He's already killed Bradon Lirrian and Gelebourne for their keys."

Gelebourne, a member of a trio of adventurers who called themselves the Brotherhood, had written the journal. Lilia didn't care for the name. Raynil and Bradon had been the other two members. They had found an artifact in an Aylied ruin and had hidden it away in a cave near Bruma, locked in a chest that could only be opened with three keys. They had each taken a key and had gone their separate ways. Lilia highly doubted that Gelebourne had given his journal away willingly to the treacherous Dunmer. Wherever he was, he was probably dead.

"The only one that matches would be Boreal Stone cave. It's west of the city. But shouldn't we get some help?" Carius was studying the leather journal in his hands.

"Go right ahead if you want to, but I'm not waiting. He already has a huge head start on us." Lilia shook her head as she spoke.

"Not really. Olav says he only left about an hour ago."

"All the more reason for us to hurry. Come on." She made her way down the staircase and out through the front door of the tavern, studiously ignoring Ongar's drunken greetings. She could hear Carius moving behind her.

They talked little as they made their way west of the town. Lilia had to slow herself down several times - she'd always been naturally a bit quicker and more agile than others, but it wasn't until she became a vampire that she could really move fast. It complemented her strategy of dodge, dodge, and dodge some more. She almost stopped in her tracks when she caught sight of five tombstones set together as they passed the little farm known as Applewatch. Killing off an entire family of murderers had been a grim task indeed. Fortunately Carius didn't seem to notice her reaction.

Boreal Stone cave was set in the base of the Jerall Mountains. Standing in front of it Lilia could see a purple figure moving within. Pulling off her right gauntlet she put her hand on Carius' face and cast a detect life spell for him. The way his posture immediately changed she knew he could see it too.

"I'll go in first." Carius held his longsword in his hand. As he stepped forward Lilia barred his way with her arm.

"No. Let me. Please." He wasn't happy about it but he agreed to let her take lead. She had no worries about his competency as a guard or his proficiency with his weapon but she didn't know what type of attack Raynil would unleash. If it was something magical Carius would be vulnerable. She made a note to teach him how to shield himself magically and reflect spells as soon as she could. She also wanted to teach him a few offensive spells. Unlike Jorundr there were no restrictions on what he could learn. He really was naturally adept at magic and Lilia found training him to be a pleasure. She was starting to like the Imperial, even if he did think her strange. Keeping him alive seemed like the least she could do to repay him for his friendship.

Making her way down the granite tunnel Lilia could see that Raynil was right ahead of her. She held her sword ready in her right hand and she was preparing a paralyzation spell. She never got a chance to use it.

Carius' sword accidentally knocked against the back of her armour as they stepped into the cavern, alerting the Dark Elf to their presence. The intense flame that flared out from the golden mist ahead heralded the arrival of a flame atronach. Raynil had backed away into the corner and was preparing a fiery ball of destruction magic. Both seemed to be aiming for Carius.

"Argh!" Her cry of pain rang out against the stone walls. Despite the spell absorption shield she'd surrounded herself with the fire from both the atronach and the Dunmer still hurt terribly. Lilia had jumped in front of the guard. He'd have been dead by now if she hadn't. She really hated fighting with other mortals. She always felt responsible for keeping them alive. Quickly sending a wave of restoration magic down her body she fortified her shield and prepared for another blast of fiery pain. Much to her surprise the atronach vanished in a shower of sparks. Raynil Dralas lay unconscious in the corner.

"You saved my life." Carius' voice was unsteady behind her. Lilia wasn't paying attention to his words as she crouched over the Dark Elf and examined the nasty bump on the side of his head. It corresponded to a large rock that lay beside him. She was staring at the cave wall and trying to figure out what had happened.

"You could have been killed." Lilia had picked up the rock and was now trying to fit it into several spots on the back wall. Had the Gods taken down Raynil for her? Had the rock jumped spontaneously out of the wall?

The sound of Carius' laughter made her turn around to look at the guard. "It came from the ground over there." He was pointing to the far corner of the cave and Lilia stared down in confusion at the inert stone in her hand. How had it moved across the room to hit the mer on the head?

"Telekinesis. Rather useful spell." He was laughing again and she joined him when she recognized her words. Carius had learnt the spell last week; he'd obviously been practicing. She'd never even considered the possibility that the guard would use magic in a fight.

"Let's get this sorry fetcher back to Bruma. I'm sure Garich will be thrilled to see him. And Carius, you were right." She was smiling again, her mood considerably happier.

"About what?" His forehead crinkled in curiosity.

"Bruma's guards really are the best in the Empire." 


	47. Chapter 47: Different Facets

The stone altar was still glowing faintly as the first weak rays of the sun started to chase away the night. It was already after six in the morning but the sun hadn't yet risen. It slept later and later as the old year died out, waiting for the new year to herald its reawakening. It was the second week of Evening Star and winter held the land of Cyrodiil firmly in its grasp. In the mountains that ringed the province's eastern boundaries an icy breeze caused the corpse that was strung up by its ankles to sway gently back and forth in front of the cave entrance. A small brazier, lit with magical blue flames, provided light but no warmth.

Warmth wasn't the vampire's concern as she sat huddled in the midst of a group of boulders. It had been five days since she'd fed. Three of those had been spent hiding here by the cave known as Dark Fissure, watching and waiting for something to happen. It wasn't until just after midnight that the rough stone altar, covered in a fine cloth decorated with the motif of Mannimarco, had begun to emit a soft purple light. Today would be the day that Necromancers, if they chose to, would come to make the powerful black soul gems that fueled their twisted practices.

Lilia tried to order her thoughts but the need for blood kept pushing them out of her mind. The hissing serpent was unrelenting in its demands - it both cried out angrily and whispered soft, sweet promises to her. She tried to focus on the task at hand. She'd been asked to find out just how the dark purple crystals were created. The council knew their purpose, but not their origins, and Lilia had been pleased that they were trying to discover more information about the practice. She suspected Raminus was behind the new interest and was glad for it. Her trust in him was beginning to grow. Her thoughts on the rest of the council were still decidedly negative. Traven was a contemptible fool in her eyes and she'd never forgive him for casually ordering her off to her potential demise at the hands of Mercator Hosidus and his Necromancer allies. To her it was on the level of something that Lucien would have done.

The last two weeks had been spent in a flurry of activity as she tried to keep herself busy. Being alone with her thoughts was starting to become an unsettling occupation so she constantly sought out things to do. She'd visited with Fathis, trained with Synderius, worked with Jorundr, and had even done a couple of jobs for Azzan in Anvil when she'd found her time weighing heavily on her hands. Methredhel had also been frequently sought out to while away the quiet nights when she was in the Imperial City. Lilia didn't sleep as often anymore. Every three days was as frequently as she dared to. Her dreams had been unmemorable but every time she closed her eyes she begged the Nine to let it be a peaceful night.

Lilia had also returned to Raminus. He'd been somewhat wary of her but she hadn't minded. He'd given her an assignment that he'd said had nothing to do with Necromancers and she'd been shocked to find that his words were true. She'd been ordered to follow up with the scholars at Vahtacen as they researched the Aylied Ruin. Skaleel, the multihued Argonian who headed up the project, had been less than helpful. However Denel, a rather competent Imperial mage, had been much more useful and he'd worked with Lilia to solve the ancient magical puzzle that prevented further exploration of the ruins. He'd been the one who had deciphered the ancient Aldmeris script and had figured out the order of spells that had to be cast onto the tall pillar that covered the stairs to the lower entrance. All she'd done was find the correct scrolls to use in the jumbled pile beside his desk.

After that they'd moved through the ruin, dealing with the few ghosts that roamed the halls with shock magicka, and studiously searching for and avoiding traps. The High Elves had been a proud and arrogant race and their strongholds were filled with deadly mechanisms designed to kill any who dared to wander their halls uninvited. Even after hundreds of years the traps remained, though the civilization that spawned them had long since vanished from Nirn. The only prize they'd found had been an old elven helm. As Lilia had taken it back to the Arcane University a fit of perversity had made her briefly consider keeping it for her own. She'd wondered how people would react to her appearance if she sported the horned golden helm on her head.

The sound of shoes on stone snapped her attention together tightly. Every instinct was in the mode of the hunter right now and all of her senses were busy tracking her prey. Her ears listened to the man's progress, her nose sought out his scent, and her eyes waited for his aura to appear through the thick block of stone in front of her. She wasn't bothering to blink - that activity was unnecessary. She had no intention of letting the Necromancer survive.

His form stopped in front of the altar and she quietly stood up and peered around the rock. He was an Imperial, his scent told her that. She watched longingly at the blood that raced through his body, visible as seductive purple threads that ran through him. Resisting the impulse to rush out she waited for him to perform his ritual.

The Necromancer held a large crystal, a grand soul gem, high above his head. She didn't understand the words that he spoke but the serpent within her did and it approved. Finished with his incantation he placed the pale blue soul gem upon the fine cloth. Stepping back from it he shot out the unmistakable black and purple magicka of a soul trap spell at the altar. The stone slab shimmered darkly before a small pulse of violet energy moved into the now dark crystal, vibrating it slightly. The Imperial's hand was clutching the soul gem when Lilia's paralyzation spell froze him on the spot.

She raced forward to catch him before he fell over and held him tightly as she felt her teeth extend, small fangs now pressing against her lips. With no regard to his comfort she bit down hard on his neck, tearing ragged holes with the force. The hot blood that flowed out from him was like nectar to her and she squeezed him tighter as she drank greedily. A small snap from underneath his robe indicated that she'd dislocated an arm but the noise couldn't penetrate her blood lust. Her mind was as one. Both the black snake and the woman were in agreement for a change.

She felt decadent as she gripped the terrified man, stealing his warmth and his lifeblood from him. She barely noticed as she sent another spell into him. The need for blood was still present but it was losing its shrill cry of urgency. Her body began to feel cozy as the urge to close her eyes and sleep sang a sweet lullaby to her. She began to feel more herself, more human again, as his pulse started to falter. By the time it dwindled away to nothingness she was revolted by the tang of iron blood in her mouth. Dropping the limp body in front of her she was surprised to see the black soul gem glowing brightly.

Bending over to grab it she incinerated the corpse before teleporting back to her home on the waterfront. Numbness was washing over her as her body started falling asleep without her.

* * *

The faint light of the half-full moons washed over her small home, outlining the furniture with a pale silver glow. The chairs looked phantasmal to her eyes as she viewed them from the floor. Lilia hadn't been able to make it to the bed before she'd collapsed in sleep. She thanked the Gods that she'd had no dreams.

She was stiff as she sat up. Bringing her hands towards herself she realized she was clutching a black soul gem. Lilia stared blankly at it as she tried to remember how she came to possess it. The fuzzy memories snapped into focus and she now regarded the crystal with revulsion.

She had cast soul trap on the Necromancer. It had been a hissed suggestion to use the Dark mage's tool against him. She now possessed a filled black soul gem, his magical life force trapped inside, and she had no idea what to do with it. She stuffed it hastily into the bottom of her bag, hiding it deep within the enchanted pack. It should be safe there for now.

Moving to the window above the bed she peered up to the night sky. She'd slept the entire day away and she needed to hurry if she didn't want to be late.

* * *

"You silly s'wit of a girl. Stop dodging!" Synderius was shaking the blunt steel longsword at her in frustration. His eyes appeared to be glowing as the firelight from the braziers that lit the Arena was reflected back from them.

"I'm sorry. I'm fighting years of instinct here." Lilia stepped forward towards the Gladiator. "I'll try again."

Synderius braced himself, the dull blade held up ready to block. Lilia waved her battered iron shortsword around as she eyed him, trying to figure out how best to attack. They were both dressed in raiments; his heavy, hers light. The weapons they practiced with had been ground down until they were as sharp as hammers. While the matches in the Arena were deadly there was no reason to lose an eye or a finger while training.

She brought the sword up and feinted that she would strike from above, but as she stepped forward to drive it home she twisted it down with a quick rotation of the wrist and instead brought it up towards his stomach. He wasn't fast enough to block it but his own blade smacked heavily across her arm. If the fight had been real he would have been dead and she would have been short a hand.

"Better. But you're still leaving yourself open to counterattacks." Without warning he brought his sword in a quick arc towards her shoulder. She threw herself away from the movement and rolled in the sand before jumping back up to face him.

"Let's take a break from this for a while." He was shaking his head and Lilia was getting irritated. Not with him, he was a fantastic instructor and an excellent warrior, but with herself. She was having a huge amount of difficulty controlling her impulse to always move away from his attacks. The whole point of their time together was for her to work on using her sword to block and parry, rather than using her whole body to evade.

"Lilia, tell me, why did you even join the Arena?" Synderius was looking at her curiously.

"Honestly, I don't know. I mean, what's the point? If I let the yellow team combatants live that only allows them more opportunities to kill my teammates. Even if I was to work my way up to Grand Champion there wouldn't be any way for me to keep you alive longer, would there be?" She hadn't fought since she'd made Brawler rank and she still had no idea why the Gods had wanted her to sign up.

"I'm in no danger right now. There isn't a yellow team Gladiator, and there won't be one of those until there's a blue team Warrior first."

"But doesn't it bother you that the finest warriors in Tamriel are dying for the amusement of a crowd that doesn't even realize what's happening?" She was venting at him.

"Of course it does." His tone was icy and she instantly calmed down. She wasn't angry with him, just with the situation. "If you feel that strongly about it you could always petition the Elder Council."

"They'd listen to me?"

"If you were Grand Champion they'd have to. Whenever someone becomes Grand Champion they get to make one request of the Elder Council. Most use it to ask for money or a piece of land. I don't know what Agronak asked for." Synderius shook his head again. "But you're definitely not ready for the Grey Prince yet. He's immune to paralyzation and damn near immune to magic, and, well, you've seen his moves."

"Thanks. We should probably get back to work then, eh?" She didn't really want to. She was feeling rather annoyed at herself.

"Why don't we switch things up? You can be the teacher for a little while." He pointed his sword at her and she batted it away with her own.

"That's probably a good idea. It will give me a chance to try and get into a better frame of mind. Let's start off with the first pattern." She agreed with the plan. The Dark Elf had already tossed his weapon a few feet away and she threw hers to join it. Standing close to him with her hands at the ready she watched as he carefully placed his palms on the ground in front of him. He began extending one leg up and then with a quick push from the other one tried to bring them up as he did a handstand. His feet waved back and forth a few times before finally coming to a stop.

"Excellent. Continue when you're ready." She encouraged him gently. Synderius pushed his arms just a little bit straighter before he rolled forward onto his back. He used his momentum to stand up on both feet but had to quickly step his right foot forward. He'd moved just a bit too fast as he'd come out of the roll and his body threatened to fall forward.

"Much better than last time." She complimented him. The previous time they'd trained his feet had crossed together and he'd been unable to stop himself as he'd pitched forward face first. If it hadn't been for Lilia's telekinesis spell his nose would have been broken once more.

"Thanks. I just wish this next part was easier." He gave her a wry smile as he tensed his muscles and Lilia made sure her spell was at the ready. With a sudden powerful jump he began twisting his body backwards, trying to do a back flip onto his palms before using them to push off the ground to land once more on his feet. Synderius managed to touch the sand with his hands but he'd been unable to adjust his body fast enough and his weight was dragging him forward. Lilia caught him with her magic and lay him gently onto the Arena floor.

He grabbed her outstretched hand and pulled himself up. With his other hand he was busy shaking the grit out of his hair. "Can you show me how it's supposed to look again? Once it's put together."

"Sure." Lilia stepped away from him and readied herself. In one continuous motion she planted her hands on the ground and brought herself up into a handstand. Not pausing she rolled her body forward and used her momentum to rise up onto her feet. Without hesitating she pushed off from the ground and flipped backwards, her hands landing in the warm sand, before pushing them off the ground and using the continuing movement of her body to land upright on her feet again.

"You move like a bloody Khajiiti acrobat. Where did you learn to do that?" Synderius was looking intently at her, his mind busy trying to replay all of the muscles she'd used and when she'd used them.

"Thanks. I don't really, but I learnt from a bloody Khajiiti acrobat so I'm pleased with the comparison." As she spoke the Dunmer had started the series of movements again but instead of standing up from his roll forwards he merely sat on the floor and looked at her curiously.

"You were an acrobat?"

"Of course not. I trained with one."

"But you don't have a tail." He was looking pointedly at where a tail would be and she turned to face him. Khajiits were renowned for their acrobatic prowess. Their tails provided both counterbalance and momentum allowing them to move lithely around.

"Neither did he. Otherwise I'd never have been able to learn anything from him." She sat down on the warm sand next to him. The combat area of the Arena had a remarkable enchantment that kept it heated in winter and cool in summer. The debate still raged as to whether it was to provide comfort to the warriors or to make the matches last longer for the spectators.

"No tail? I've never seen a Khajiit without a tail."

"You've probably seen plenty without realizing it. There are several different types of Khajiit. The tailless ones known as the Ohmes look just like the Bosmer in terms of body shape, but they certainly don't have the long pointed elven ears. They also don't have any fur. Most of them tattoo their faces to look closer to their cousins, they look almost Imperial otherwise. Other races sometimes consider them not to be Khajiiti at all, but you'd never hear any Khajiit agree with that."

"Where did you find a tailless Khajiiti acrobat?"

"Hammerfell, of all places. His troupe was performing in Gilane." She'd been in Skyrim at the time she'd seen the poster and had felt that familiar push from the Nine so she'd journeyed straight to the coastal city. "His name was Ra'Mhirr."

"You even pronounce his name like a bloody Khajiit."

"I told you, I grew up all over the Empire. I know that my words are sometimes accented, but I can only blame my upbringing for that. We traveled constantly and I learnt how to speak from everyone everywhere. I know basic phrases in most tongues, like how to ask for directions, how to order food, and how to count. I also know how to call someone a filthy fetcher in every language of Tamriel. The legion soldiers we often had accompanying us can be blamed for that."

"You pronounce fetcher rather well for a n'wah." Synderius was smiling at her. "So how long did you study with Ra'Mhirr?"

"Two months. I followed his troupe to Hegathe."

"They didn't mind you tagging along?" Lilia was glad she couldn't blush at the question.

"Well, I was kind of living with him at that point, so they didn't really worry about it too much." The acrobat had been a rogue and a scoundrel and she'd been delighted by it. She'd responded to him by behaving like a complete tart. It was never going to last, but it had been the most enjoyable training experience she'd had. Rumours of an ex-Shadowscale living in Valenwood had pushed her away from Hegathe and Ra'Mhirr. The Khajiit hadn't seemed at all disappointed by her departure and she didn't miss him either. Though every now and again she did wonder if he was still wandering the lands of Tamriel, leaping and flipping for a living, happily sampling the local pastries.

Synderius merely arched an eyebrow as his eyes moved up and down her body. "Really? So, is it true what they say about Khajiit men?"

Lilia stood up and ran to get her shortsword. Whirling it around she smiled mischievously at the seated Gladiator. "Get up. I think I'm finally in the right frame of mind to go on the offensive." 


	48. Chapter 48: Bosmer Buddies

The Temple of the One rang the bells once, and Lilia's ears were able to catch the sound on the frigid wind that was blasting across the city. She was walking along the wide stone platform that led to the waterfront and the frothy murky water of Lake Rumare sent bits of spray up onto her brown cloak and thick gray robe. The raiment and weapon she'd used in the Arena had been borrowed from the Bloodworks below and had been returned there after the training session. Lilia had done much better at attacking Synderius and not fleeing from his counter attacks. Her desire to change the subject had been a strong motivator. She'd still had to heal herself several times though. The Dunmer was remarkably skilled, even dulled his blade had been damaging.

She was feeling rather calm for a change and had a small smile as she made her way towards her home. Methredhel should still be up. Most of the waterfront's residents were nocturnal in nature so Lilia could almost always find company. Standing behind the thick wall that ringed the docks she stopped moving and started counting. The waterfront's population had doubled again. This could not be good.

Casting her invisibility spell she moved through the gateway and into the residential part of the district. Imperial guards were everywhere, harassing the residents and getting in their faces. Standing in the midst of the hovels Watch Captain Hieronymus Lex was overseeing it all, a murderous expression on his face. Lilia wondered how she'd ever found him a nice man - he'd fooled her terribly. The way a couple of his guards were bodily hauling little Puny Ancus around made her blood boil.

There was no one in Armand's house and Methredhel's home only contained one figure. Peeking through the window Lilia saw Carwen inside, a grim expression on her face. The Bosmer jumped when she tapped on the window. She was still invisible. It was pretty well known by now in the waterfront that Lilia was a mage. Her apprentice robes, the flashes of light that escaped from her shack when she teleported home, and her habit of walking on top of Lake Rumare had been some strong clues.

"Lilia, is that you?" Carwen had opened the window a crack and was whispering out into the night.

"Yes. Where's Methredhel?"

"She's hiding at Dynari Amnis' house in the Talos Plaza district. She wants you to meet her there right away." Carwen was speaking a little to the left of Lilia.

"I'll go see her. Just stay indoors and try not to worry." Lilia maintained her spell and crept back out to the docks. She ran back to the city, dropping her spell only when she emerged from the covered walkway that led into the Temple district. Trying not to run she made her way to Dynari Amnis' townhouse. She sometimes wandered the deserted streets at night and she remembered the general vicinity of where she'd seen the painted name. Glancing around to make sure that no patrolling guards were in sight she knocked on the Imperial's door.

"Lilia!" The door flew open and Methredhel grabbed her arm, pulling her less than gently into the room. Lilia was about to ask the mer to try not to be quite so physical all the time but she held her tongue when she noticed the Bosmer's large brown eyes were red-rimmed. It looked as though she'd been crying, but her face was currently set in an expression of determination. Dynari didn't seem to be home. Lilia couldn't see her figure anywhere in the house.

"Methredhel, what happened?" Lilia asked once the thick door had closed behind them.

"Lex and his men have raided the waterfront. They're looking for the Gray Fox, the fools. The guildmaster never comes to the Imperial City." Her words were scornful. "Armand wasn't able to get away. He's hiding in the cellar of Isleif's house. If they find him they'll toss him into prison!" Methredhel was distraught at the idea.

"So you want me to go get him?" Lilia wasn't sure what the Wood Elf had planned. She was very good at coming up with schemes on short notice.

"No. I have something else that I need you to do. I know you're not actively working for the guild anymore, but I'd like you to do it as a favour for me. It's the least you could do to make up for all the worry you caused me when you vanished." The fact that Methredhel wasn't telling her what she had in mind worried Lilia.

"Methredhel, tell me what it is."

The mer sighed and began pacing the room. "Guards from all over the city have been pulled into the raid. I'm planning a series of high profile thefts. It should result in the guards being sent back to their posts immediately. But there's one job that only you can do."

"Methredhel, just tell me." Lilia was distinctly uneasy now. The Footpad stopped moving and looked right at her.

"I need you to steal the staff of Hrormir from Arch Mage Traven's room in the Arcane University, leaving this note when you do." She waved a small piece of parchment in her right hand. "You're the only one who is a Mages Guild member, and the only one who has the best chance of moving invisibly through a bunch of wizards. We'll return it once the guards are gone. It has to be you."

Lilia looked at the mer as her mind tried to digest the strange request. She wasn't working for the Thieves Guild anymore, that was true. Armand had tried to convince her to fence some more goods but she'd flatly refused. It was bad enough that several guild members could attest to her membership. She wasn't about to do anything that could bring the law down on her for such a trivial matter. And she was still angry with the Gray Fox for using her as bait in his ridiculous plan to catch Myvryna Arano.

On the other hand she was just as angry, if not more so, with Hanibal Traven. The thought of tweaking his nose was awfully tempting. She weighed the pros and cons in her head. If she did it she would be breaking the law and could face expulsion from the Mages Guild. But at the same time she would be taking a small form of revenge on the Arch Magister and she'd be helping out her friend. And it wasn't like they were keeping the staff. Methredhel's obvious distress was the deciding factor.

"I'll do it on one condition. Don't smile yet." Methredhel had begun grinning happily. "You can't let anyone know that it was me who did this. If anyone asks you tell them that you did it yourself. Promise me."

"Of course." The Bosmer was quite happy with the idea. Being able to brag about breaking into the Arcane University would only enhance her reputation within the guild.

"Now give me that note."

* * *

The sleeping Breton didn't look at all like she had expected. His white hair was the same colour as the pillowcase below his head. His face was serene, with a soft smile on his lips. He looked so peaceful. He also looked like a nice man.

Lilia had been expecting something a bit more evil. She chastised herself; what had she pictured? Horns? She of all people should know that appearances could be deceiving. She was living proof, or rather, not living proof. She sent a small paralyzation spell into the mage. Even if he did wake up he'd never be able to see her.

She'd been invisible when she'd moved into the deserted foyer, up through the deserted council chambers, and into the personal quarters of the Arch Mage. She thanked the Nine for mage arrogance. Their lack of security belied their belief in their superiority. After all, who would dare steal from a powerful group of wizards?

Using telekinesis she floated the note onto the nightstand beside the bed before using it to fetch the gnarled white staff that glittered with magicka. She could feel its powerful enchantment through her gloves as she held it. Spotting a glass alembic on a nearby bookshelf she lifted it magically up to the ceiling. A white flash of light took her away from the Arch Mage, who woke up startled by the sound of breaking glass.

* * *

"Godsdamn it Methredhel! It's me!" Lilia had teleported back to the magical anchor she'd left in the living room of Dynari Amnis. The high-strung Wood Elf had been so startled by the intrusion she'd started punching before Lilia had been able to pull back her hood.

"Lilia! You did it!" Methredhel stopped hitting and instead threw herself bodily into the taller woman, squeezing her tightly in a hug. Lilia briefly wondered how Armand managed to handle all of the bruises the little mer must inflict on a regular basis. The Bosmer snatched the staff right out of her hands. "Now we just need to wait."

"I don't think we'll need to wait long. There was an accident in the Arch Mage's bedroom. I think he's woken up already. Even Traven would notice the staff missing."

"Then what are you doing here? Go! Get to the waterfront and come fetch me once the guards are gone." Methredhel was gesturing with the staff as she spoke and Lilia resisted the urge to dive into a roll across the carpet. Not wanting to stay with the tightly wound and dangerously armed Bosmer she almost ran out of the townhouse. She hoped for Dynari's sake that the mer would put the staff down before she encased the furniture in ice.

She was invisible as she ran through the districts down to the waterfront. She didn't want to miss anything, but she also didn't want to attract the attention of the few guards patrolling the streets. Hopping onto a low stone wall beside Armand's house she jumped up onto his roof. A couple of guards nearby looked to see the source of the sound, she'd knocked a wooden shingle loose when she'd landed, but they were unable to spot anything and dismissed it as the wind.

Just as Lilia settled in to wait a golden mist appeared in front of her own house. A dremora warrior, dressed in full armour, marched over to an astonished Hieronymus Lex. With his strange metallic voice he told the Captain to leave as he handed a note to the mortal. As Lex took the parchment the dremora disappeared in a shower of sparks. Lilia couldn't see the Imperial's expression as he read the note but she did see how he crumpled it angrily and tossed it to the ground. He gruffly ordered his guards to come with him and stalked off back to the Imperial City.

After the guards had left Lilia lowered herself off the roof and ran over to get the note that had blown into a bush. Raminus had written it. She was pleased at the Master Wizard's take charge attitude. She'd have to visit him tomorrow to tell him what she'd learnt at Dark Fissure. Debating about whether to take the note back to Methredhel she quickly decided against it. She'd received enough bruises this evening between the Bosmer and the Dunmer. Instead she headed over to Isleif's house. She'd let Armand handle it. He must be an expert at dealing with the spunky mer by now.

* * *

The little bell rang out as the door closed behind her. The shop was very warm. The Bosmer kept it toasty in winter. Most Wood Elves preferred heat to cold. Pushing her hood back she shook the snow off her cloak as Thoronir greeted her warmly.

"Lilia! Perfect timing. The last of your order just arrived last night." He was smiling happily. She was a regular customer of his and must have made him a rather tidy profit this year.

"Wonderful! No surprises this time, right?" She was always a little wary of just what she would receive when she placed a special order with the shop keeper. The ugliest staff in Tamriel was hidden in her home on the waterfront and was a garish reminder of what could happen due to miscommunication.

Thoronir chuckled at the question. "Of course not. Was there anything else you wanted, or should I wrap it up for you?"

"Actually, I need a dress. Preferably something modest." Thoughts her old yellow gown danced through her mind. "And no corsets."

"I'm sure I have just what you need. Why don't you look through that wardrobe while I gather up your things?" Thoronir was rummaging around behind the counter to find the various items that she wanted.

Opening up the wooden cupboard Lilia wrinkled her nose and frowned. Sniffing a few more times she knew she wasn't mistaken. The smell of dead bodies and rotten flesh hung faintly over the clothes.

"Thoronir, where did you get your inventory?"

"You know I can't tell you that. It's my secret." The mer stood up and winked at her. They both knew that the other merchants in the district would love to have his sources.

"Are you sure? Because you might want to reconsider suppliers." She wasn't joking as she spoke and the Bosmer's smile faded.

"Why? What's wrong with the clothes?" He abandoned the assortment of parcels on the counter and headed over to join her. She could see that he was nervous, more so than he should be.

"Unless I'm mistaken, and I sincerely hope I am, these have been worn by the dead." Lilia was shocked to see the little mer's tan skin turn white. "Are you okay?"

"Agarmir." He moaned out the name. "Are you sure about this?"

Lilia pulled out a pink silk shirt and sniffed discreetly. The scent was unmistakable. Unless Agarmir had a penchant for dressing up zombies before selling his wares then he'd obtained them from less than ideal conditions. "I'm sorry, but I'm sure."

Thoronir didn't bother saying any words as he moaned loudly. She was surprised by his reaction.

"I'm sorry, but I need to close. I have to go talk to Agarmir." He wasn't looking at her as he spoke.

"I'll go with you." Lilia didn't like the way he was acting. She didn't want to leave him alone. "You can tell me about Agarmir on the way."

To her surprise Thoronir accepted her offer. He grabbed a thick black cloak, tailored to fit his shorter stature, and herded her out into the street. After locking the door to his shop he led her to the Talos Plaza district and filled her in on what he knew. The Nord had approached him just after he'd opened his store and had offered a wide variety of items for sale at a very low price. Thoronir had asked around with the guards but none of the more unique pieces had been reported stolen, so he'd contacted the man and had agreed to purchase the shipment. Since then Agarmir had regularly been supplying him with goods, mostly clothes and jewelry, though sporadically weapons and armour would also be available. Despite his occasional inquiries to the watch nothing that he'd had in his shop had ever been reported stolen. Regardless something about Agarmir's manner and very cheap prices had worried the Bosmer.

As they stood in front of Agarmir's townhouse Lilia understood a little better. As he'd spoken Thoronir had calmed down a bit. He had used her to make his confession. He was still keyed up though and she wondered how this would play out.

A blond Nord with dark brown eyes opened the door in response to the Bosmer's knock. He didn't look happy to see Thoronir, and he wasn't sure what to make of Lilia. However he did let them in to the main floor of his home. She didn't like the fact that he locked and bolted the door behind them. As she listened to the two discuss the Nord's sources she could smell the scent of the dead wafting up from the basement. She was just about to step closer to the stairs down when she saw the Nord's hand fly to the silver shortsword on his belt, upset at Thoronir's mention of prison.

"I'll never go back to that Imperial hellhole!" Agarmir slashed out at Thoronir, who was now flying to the side towards Lilia, recipient of her telekinesis spell. She shot out a paralyzation spell at the enraged Nord and was unpleasantly surprised when it bounced back to hit her squarely in the chest. While she wasn't affected by it she was now rather worried. He had some very strong magical means of reflecting spells and she didn't have her sword or her armour with her. She did have a slightly hysterical Bosmer, but that didn't seem like much of an asset against a magically immune murderous Nord.

As Agarmir moved towards her she took a page out of Carius' book and started magically tossing things at him. One of his dining chairs caught him on the knees but the Nord brushed it away. She sent a bowl of fruit, another chair, and the entire contents of his bookshelf at him but the large man just shoved them off. They just weren't solid enough to stop him. She realized that she'd been moving away from him the whole time and she now had her back against the wall. Lilia decided to play the only card she had left.

She started ranting and screaming like a lunatic. Her hands pulled at her hair and she frothed at the mouth. Agarmir stopped moving in surprise. He hadn't expected her to be insane. As soon as she saw his sword hand dip she launched herself off the wall and tackled him. Her hands flew up to his head and she twisted quickly. A quick snap of the neck and the Nord was lifeless. The earthy scent of cinnabar mushrooms wafted out as he breathed his last and Lilia understood why her spell hadn't affected him. He'd drunk a potion of spell reflection. She wondered if he did that every day. Standing up she ran her hands over herself. Her clothes had survived the encounter intact. Briefly she eyed the rings of luck all over her fingers.

Turning she looked over to Thoronir, who was staring wide eyed at his dead business associate.

"Are you okay?" She asked. The mer's hands were shaking. He nodded in response to her question.

"I think I will be. But I'm not taking on any new business partners for a while." 


	49. Chapter 49: Holidays

The frost atronach was winning. As it tossed balls of cold into the fire atronach the mages could see the flames dimming, the magical ice extinguishing the fire elemental's core. With a final defiant fireball that melted off the frost elemental's hand the fire atronach disappeared in a puff of smoke.

"Good match. They're becoming better warriors." Fathis Aren waved his hand and dismissed the miniature frost atronach as he spoke. He and Lilia were sitting in his comfortable armchairs. They'd been pitting their small elementals against each other in a series of mock battles. At first her atronachs had been rather docile, and then out of frustration she'd made them a little too angry. She was sure he'd never forget the tiny frost elemental that had attacked his feet in a whirl of icy fury. A small firebolt had taken care of it. Since then she'd scaled back a bit and was putting more effort into making atronachs that understood rudimentary strategy, had no fear, and weren't too aggressive.

"Thanks. This magic is far more complicated than I'd anticipated."

"But don't forget that you only need to do it once. So long as your atronach isn't destroyed it won't vanish on you. It's not as if I need to create my guards every day." Fathis pointed at the fiery elementals that were patrolling the snowy courtyard, steam rising from them as they evaporated the flakes that fell on them from the sky above. Bare stone showed through where they'd stalked about. It was snowing heavily and occasionally the wind would bring a blast of cold wet snow into the covered room that sheltered the mages. It certainly wasn't an ordinary Tel; mushroom towers at least had roofs.

"Fathis, you never answered my question." She leaned back in her chair and gripped her barely touched mug of tea, sending a wave of heat into it. Her hands were grateful for the warmth.

"What question?" He was confused by her change of subject.

"What is a four-hundred something year old Telvanni wizard doing in a town like Bravil?" He chuckled at her words.

"Four hundred and fifty-six. That's how old I am."

"I know. I was just being polite." She winked at him. "So are you going to tell me?"

"Of course. There's not much to tell. For the first three hundred years of my life I lived, worked, and studied with my people, the Telvanni. I moved up the ranks and before I realized it I was a Wizard." Lilia nodded, she had a vague concept of House Telvanni politics, but she knew that Wizards were high up the chain of power. He continued. "At that point I was being pushed to get a Tel of my own. The only problem is that the Telvanni were trying to expand into House Redoran territory. There was a glass mine that both Houses wanted dominion over."

Fathis sighed. Lilia understood. She'd been a first hand witness of the messy politics that occurred when territory, especially desirable territory, became disputed.

"Not only did I have no desire to get embroiled in inter-House politics, but I would be expected to run the mine. It's been abolished now but slavery was openly practiced until recently, especially by House Telvanni. I had an abhorrence of the practice. I've never been comfortable with the idea of controlling others. That's one of the reasons I only practice this type of conjuration - the atronachs aren't really atronachs, slaves to my will."

"That's not very Telvanni of you." The wizards were renowned for their manipulative tendencies and their desire for personal power over others.

"No, it's not."

"So what happened? Did you get into a wizard's duel?" She couldn't imagine the other Wizards taking his refusal well. To her surprise he laughed at the question.

"Nothing quite so dramatic. I thanked them, and told them that I'd build my tower just as soon as I returned from my travels abroad. I left Morrowind the next day."

"And you've never been back since." He nodded at her words. "But how did you end up in an ancient fort south of Bravil?"

"I traveled the lands for a while but I've always preferred to have a place to call home. I joined the Mages Guild and came to Cyrodiil. I find the Imperials a fascinating, if often eccentric, race to live with. I earned the post of Court Wizard with the current Count's grandfather. He gave me the fort. The only others who were ever interested in it were bandits and goblins. I've been inherited by his heirs ever since." The Dunmer frowned slightly. "Though I will admit I'm not pleased with the current Count. And I'll certainly not work for his son."

Lilia watched the steam rising from her tea as she mulled over his tale. She'd been expecting something a little more exciting, but it explained a lot. She greatly enjoyed spending time with the powerful mage. While she had no idea how they did it the Telvanni had magical means of prolonging their already long life spans. One of the results seemed to be that they didn't always sleep every night, and they'd often skip meals without negative consequences. She'd sniffed Fathis discreetly several times but she could smell nothing dusty about him, vampirism certainly wasn't involved. Regardless of his methods he'd been living alone for so long he didn't seem to find it odd that she barely ate and never slept. She was the most comfortable with her vampirism when she was hidden behind the stone walls of his old fort.

"Is that why you aren't attending the Castle's Saturnalia festivities today?" She asked. Fathis made a face of disgust at the question.

"Once. I attended once, years ago. That was one time too many for my liking." He seemed to be suppressing an urge to stick out his tongue in distaste. Lilia chuckled at the sight. "I must admit, I was surprised when you took me up on my offer to spend Saturnalia here. I would have thought you'd have other, more exciting, invitations."

"Why is that?" She was curious to know his thoughts. She had received a few invites to join people for Saturnalia, the festival held on the 25th of Evening Star. It was a time of feasting, dancing, and merriment. For the last ten years she'd traveled so frequently she'd never received any invitations, and the holiday had become a melancholy one. She now preferred to spend it alone but the wizard's offer to have her over had been the only one that had appealed to her desire for quiet. Methredhel had hopped about in annoyance when Lilia had declined her invitation. She'd also turned down offers from her friends in Bruma and even an invite to join Erthor in Chorral. Saying no to his request had been the most difficult. Apparently he and Athragar were going to use their trained scamps to cook and serve a feast of roast boar. The temptation to witness such a spectacle had been very strong, but the thought of having to gulp down the results had quickly put an end to the idea.

"I was sure that Raminus would have invited you to join the party at the Arcane University. He seems so interested in you." Fathis' face was arranged in an inscrutable Telvanni smile and Lilia frowned as she looked at him. The mer must be mad. While Master Wizard Polus wasn't quite as hesitant to spend time with her as he had been he certainly didn't seek her company.

"What are you talking about?"

"Oh, yes, I forgot to tell you." Lilia knew he had done no such thing. The Dunmer had purposefully held back whatever he was about to say. "Raminus paid me a visit a few weeks ago. He wanted to know all about you."

"You lie." He must be teasing her.

"I do no such thing. He came here to try and find out more about your past." The Dark Elf faked an attitude of indignation.

"What did you tell him?" After the rumours about her mark she couldn't possibly imagine the notoriety she would earn if the facts that she'd studied with Divayth Fyr and the Psijics were to spread throughout the guild.

"Nothing." Fathis smiled at her. "All that I told him is from my own observations I noticed that you were adequately skilled and that you'd obviously received training in the past. He disregarded my advice to let you directly into the University, why would I bother sharing your story with him?"

"Thank you." The Telvanni were gossips, but they were also excellent secret keepers. Having knowledge that a member of the council didn't would be something that she could see Fathis not sharing readily. "Now before I forget, I have a little something for you. Happy Saturnalia." She pulled out a large cloth sack from her bag and handed it to the mer. Opening it he found a variety of foodstuffs from Morrowind inside. Ash yams, scrib jelly, marshmerrows, and kwama eggs were all sorted into their own separate bags.

"You can eat them, or you can use them in potions. And it's all fresh." She'd paid more to ensure fast delivery than she'd paid for the ingredients themselves.

"Thank you. It's very thoughtful." He gave her a sincere smile as he pulled out an ash yam and closed the sack. A wave of fire quickly roasted the vegetable and the smell took Lilia back to her travels through the province. Many of the memories were good ones. Offering it to her she pulled off a small piece and nibbled at it. It tasted better than she remembered. She still wasn't sure what happened when she ate or drank and she did so very sparingly. If she knew that she could eat without suffering any ill effects she'd be constantly sampling food - her enhanced senses made good things taste even better.

"I have a little something for you as well." He waved his hands at her as he spoke. One of Fathis' fiery atronachs stomped into the room carrying three small leather pouches. She took them very carefully, wary not to get too close to the flames. Her own magical fire could never hurt her, it was hers to control, but that didn't hold true when she encountered another mage's flames. Since the atronach was not hers she made sure to keep her distance. Peeking into the pouches she found that one contained glittering red sand, one small twinkling icy white crystals, and one tiny pieces of dark rock.

"Salts? You're giving me elemental salts?" It was a very generous gift. The reagents were very rare and very costly. "Thank you. I'm stunned."

Fathis chuckled at her reaction. "You're quite welcome. But they're not to be used in potions. You'll need them for your next lesson. I think it's time you started weaning your miniature atronachs off your magicka. Just promise me that you won't make them cavort when you do."

* * *

"Lilia! You made it!" Jorundr's voice boomed out to her as she entered the dungeon. In the past month his training had taken on a life of its own. Between the Countess' use of him as a practice dance partner and the guard's constant interactions with him during training sessions his incarceration was becoming more of a luxury vacation than a punishment. His cell door wasn't locked anymore allowing him free use of the large central room and he had a regular stream of visitors. Most were guards who wanted to chat, practice, or just while away the time. His friendly personality and good humour were winning him a lot of new friends.

So Lilia wasn't too surprised to find him seated at a large table in the middle of the room playing cards with Carius, J'Skar, and Gan Luseph, the Breton court wizard of Bruma. The cards were being held magically aloft by all of the men except Jorundr. Telekinesis was being practiced as they played. Lilia hadn't taught the Nord the spell yet as it could be used for both helpful and harmful purposes. Though the same could be said for most forms of magic.

"How could I possibly fail to attend the Countess' Old Life party?" She asked. It was the 31st of Evening Star, the last day of the year. The main hall of Bruma had been full of citizens as Lilia had entered. A troupe of bards had been setting up their instruments in a corner of the room, and Lilia was looking forward to the dancing that was about to begin. Moving over to Jorundr she pulled out a bundle from her bag.

"More clothes?" He took the pile from her. His wardrobe was starting to exceed her own.

"And shoes. Go get dressed. I'll play your turn for you." She shooed him off to his cell and took over his seat at the table. "I think the green outfit would work perfectly for tonight."

"Yes dear. Are you sure you don't want to bathe me again?" He teased her with a large wink as he moved off and she noticed Carius raise his eyebrow at the comments. She just rolled her eyes in response.

"He's quite a kidder, that one." J'Skar was talking to her. "I brought Volanaro with me to teach him some of the concepts of illusion. You should have heard the two go on."

The High Elf who worked at the Bruma guild hall was the ringleader and instigator of the practical jokes that were played on Jeanne Frasoric. She wasn't surprised to hear that he'd hit it off with Jorundr. The Nord was rather playful in his own way.

"It's your turn." Gan nodded his tonsured grey head at her. She'd paid him to give a few training sessions of restoration magic to Jorundr and had been amused to hear that somehow he'd managed to teach the Nord how to magically explode bottles of mead. The Breton freely admitted that his specialty was destruction rather than restoration magic. The Countess hadn't been informed but Lilia doubted that she would be too concerned at this point. Surveying Jorundr's cards she noticed that he had a good chance to win. She chose one from the end and placed in on the table.

"Mephala's trousers." Carius wasn't pleased by her move and was frowning at the cards in front of him, looking as if he wished he could transform them into something else. She giggled at the oath. Legion soldiers were a constant source of amazement with their vast vocabulary of curses. It was almost another language in itself.

"I don't think they're that bad." Jorundr had returned to the room and gave an exaggerated twirl to Lilia. She was very pleased by the results. She'd paid a princely sum to Palonyria to have them custom made to fit the giant man. A new pair of doeskin leather shoes completed the look.

"You're a prisoner and you dress better than I do." Gan was looking at the linen ensemble with admiration. The Breton was a very meticulous dresser. His velvet tunic was trimmed with golden cording and his breeches were made out of fine silk. Jorundr's outfit may be nice, but his was by far the more luxurious.

The sound of a gong floated down to the group. The ball was about to begin. Carius was the fastest to offer to escort Lilia up to the main hall and she accepted. As the others left the room she pulled off her cloak and shoved it into her pack. She would leave it here for the evening.

"You look nice. You look like a…woman." Carius had noticed her new pale blue velveteen dress. She'd also purchased it from Palonyria for far more than it was worth. The Altmer hadn't been happy to see Lilia wearing the cloak that Thoronir had refused to sell her, and she also wasn't pleased with the fact that Lilia was a frequent customer of the Bosmer. The High Elf's attitude had been only a little less frigid when Lilia had stopped in yesterday to pick up her purchases. In the interim Thoronir had joined the Society and agreed to work with the other merchants. He'd told Lilia that he'd donated all of the items he'd purchased from Agarmir as well as all of the profits he'd made from selling the Nord's illicit goods to the temple. She'd been impressed by his selfless actions.

"That has to be the worst compliment I've ever received." She understood what he'd meant. Between the voluminous robes she preferred and the loose pants and tunic she wore to train Jorundr in combat she never looked too feminine. It was a calculated action on her part. It was hard enough to get people to take her seriously. She wasn't about to try to do it while gussied up.

"With a little work you could probably be attractive." He nodded to her face as he grinned mischievously. She swatted him on his arm before accepting it.

"Are you trying to make me angry?" She asked as she watched him lock the dungeon door behind them. He threw up his hands in a gesture of surrender at her words.

"Oh no. I still remember what you're like when you're angry." He led her back up to the main hall. It seemed as though every citizen in town was in the hall tonight. She noticed Narina Carvain standing at the top of the stairs near the entrance to the throne room. She looked lovely in a dark burgundy velvet gown. Her hair was down, loose waves held back by a small jeweled tiara. She looked so regal.

"She looks beautiful." Lilia whispered to Carius.

"Mmm. She does." Following his eyes she realized that he was looking at Lyra Rosentia. The Imperial did look very attractive in a fitted blue silk dress. She had a figure that could best be described as lush. "And her grey eyes. So unusual, so exotic."

Lilia resisted the urge to swat him again. The woman's eyes were the same colour as her own. She'd often been asked if she had Imperial blood because of them - they were the only race that had grey eyes. The Countess' welcome speech interrupted any further conversation and Lilia listened to her words. She projected well and was certainly skilled in speechcraft. When she finished speaking the room gave her a warm round of applause. The musicians in the corner started off with a flowing waltz.

Lilia pushed Carius off towards Lyra and made her way over to Jorundr. It had taken very little persuasion to get the Countess to consent to his presence at the party. Watching the dancers take to the floor she realized that nobody was daring to approach the Countess. Lilia hissed at the Nord, poking him several times, until he finally relented and went to ask Narina to dance. She couldn't keep from grinning as she watched the Countess' reaction to the request. Mortals were lucky that so few vampires roamed among them. They could be so absolutely transparent in their emotions sometimes.

Tuundir had found her and led her out onto the floor. The mer, while much shorter than herself, was an excellent dancer. She'd always loved dancing. It had been a regular part of her life growing up. It seemed that there was always a ball or a fete being held when her father arrived in a new town and she and her mother had of course been expected to attend. While she couldn't make music nothing prevented her from moving to it and she always found dancing to put her in a delightful mood.

As the evening wore on she was constantly on the dance floor. She was taking turns dancing with the many single guards that worked in Bruma, as well as some of the other men that she knew. If nobody asked her to dance she didn't hesitate to seek out a partner on her own. She even spent a most amusing reel dancing with J'Skar. She'd forgotten just how well Khajiits could move and he'd challenged her with the speed at which he'd twirled her around. By the time the song was over she was dizzy but laughing hard.

Noting Lyra whirling around the room with a tall Breton guard she wasn't surprised to find Carius unoccupied. She asked him to join her, wanting to distract him. He really was most unsubtle in his admiration for the lovely Imperial and he had such a disappointed look on his face that Lilia took pity on him. He seemed not to realize that Lyra had danced almost exclusively with him all evening, despite many other requests for her company.

"Your hands are always so cold." His words brought her spirits down as they moved around the floor. She'd been having so much fun she'd forgotten that she was a vampire. For a while there it had felt like it used to, before her parents died, before she'd chosen a lonely path. For a while there she'd felt like she'd been a part of the festivities, just like everyone else.

"Circulation problems. Always been like that." She muttered in reply.

"Is that why you never sweat?" He inquired. She really didn't like that he'd noticed these things. Lilia was now very uncomfortable.

"I run cold. My Dunmer blood." The Dark Elves were very resistant to fire and heat, she was hoping he'd believe that somehow made their bodies cool. When he nodded in acceptance she felt a wave of relief. Still, she was very glad when the song was finished. Not wanting to be so close to anyone for a moment she slipped out the front doors of the castle and into the deserted courtyard.

Masser and Secunda were full in the sky. Their white light fell onto the fresh snow that covered the town, glittering like crushed diamonds. There was no wind and the air was chill. She wrapped her arms around herself and moved into the centre of the courtyard, looking up to the moons and stars. Loneliness crashed down on her like a physical force.

Gods, she missed Vicente so much. He'd been the first person in years that she'd felt truly comfortable with. If she hadn't been so afraid to even whisper the name of her parents or her purpose for fear that somehow the Night Mother would hear she would have happily shared everything and anything with him. He'd accepted her, with all her quirks and flaws, and he'd loved her. Her heart ached at the thought. He'd been the first person in fifteen years to feel that way about her, to say that phrase to her since her parents had died. She still remembered his words - they both warmed her and pained her terribly. While she hadn't loved him back with the same intensity, not in the same way that he felt for her, she realized now that she had loved him in her own small fashion. Not a day went by that she didn't think of him without cursing herself for failing him in his final request, for choosing to damn him instead of herself. Lately she'd been considering the possibility that she was already damned, doomed to live forever with her guilt and shame.

She had friends - like Methredhel, Fathis, and Carius - but it wasn't the same. There would always be a distance between them. They were alive, living and breathing, and she was an undead monster, forced to prey on others like them for her continued existence. Lilia would never be able to tell them about her condition, about her past in the Dark Brotherhood. She needed to lie to them and keep them at arms length. Part of the reason that she was constantly traveling around the cities of Cyrodiil was that she was too scared to stay in any one place for too long. Eventually someone like Carius would notice that she never ate and she'd be exposed for all to see and judge. And she knew exactly what sentence they would pronounce. She would have pronounced the same a year ago.

She cursed herself bitterly. She'd fooled herself into thinking that she belonged with mortals, that she could have friends and companions and a happy life. She had gaily danced and laughed in the warmth of the castle but it changed nothing. So long as she remained a vampire, so long as the Gods prevented her from being cured, there could be no happy ending for her. How could she ever settle down in a town, into a normal routine? As for love, well, who would ever want to be with a vampire? She remembered well her own opinions on the matter as she'd walked up to Bruma all those months ago, and she'd only had a crush on one at the time.

The sound of footsteps crunching over the shimmering snow snapped her out of her ever darkening thoughts. Turning Lilia was surprised to find Allian approaching her.

"Did Carius send you to fetch me?" The guard always kept tabs on her activities in the castle. She knew he trusted her now, but he still considered her to be on some level like a wayward toddler, intent on getting into mischief. His paternal attitude amused her rather than annoyed her.

"No." The young jailor's face was dark at the question. She could smell the ale coming from him. He appeared to be one drink shy of completely trashed. As it was he was very drunk. He staggered over to stand beside her, too close for her liking.

"Let's go inside." She started moving towards the castle but Allian grabbed her arm and pulled her back. Lilia looked at the young Imperial, noticing how his lips were set in a pout and his light brown eyes were staring at her. He was in that awkward stage where he no longer looked like a youth, but he hadn't yet matured into a man. Noticing her look he blushed. The jailor was always nervous around her. She suspected it was because she'd almost gotten him in trouble for training with her and Jorundr. He seemed rather dedicated to his job.

"You look beautiful tonight. You always look beautiful." His words were slurred as he pulled her even closer.

"No." She whispered. Not this, not now. The man was almost half her age. She was old enough to be his mother, technically. She berated herself for failing to understand his blushes and occasional embarrassment around her. If she'd had any idea that he was attracted to her she'd have done something to scare him away, even if it meant being a frosty bitch to the innocent man. There was no room in her life for romance of any kind, not even a drunken fling. No man would fail to notice how cold she was, how she didn't sweat, how her breathing never changed, regardless of his level of intoxication.

His warm lips mashed against her cold ones and she felt an overwhelming wave of desire wash over her. But it wasn't at all sexual in nature. She wanted to hurt him painfully. She wanted to bite him, to chew his lips off his face, and then to use her teeth to tear the flesh from his skull. Lilia could see herself doing it, could hear the jailor's agonized screams as she sank her teeth into his skin, exposing the bone below. Scaring herself with her ideas she pushed him away with all of her unnatural strength and he flew across the courtyard to land in a large pile of snow.

"Whee." He hiccupped as he lay in the snow bank, grinning drunkenly. Turning towards the castle she noticed Carius and Lyra standing beside the doors, staring at her strangely. She didn't know how much they'd seen and she didn't care to. Lilia ran past them, pushing her way through the warm bodies in the hall, before fleeing down to the dungeon. She could hear Carius calling her name but she wasn't going to stop. A quick blast of magicka unlocked the door and she ran into the main room, grabbing her bag off the ground. As she teleported away from the warmth and the music and the laughter she saw Carius run into the room, an unreadable expression on his face.


	50. Chapter 50: Blackheart

"Are you sure you don't just want to walk? We'd probably get there faster." Modryn was ribbing her as he sat astride a powerful chestnut horse further down the road. Her paint horse was barely moving to catch up with him. Lilia tried urging the nag forward but the horse didn't speed up. If anything she seemed to slow down.

"You do know what you're doing, don't you?" He was a little more serious in his question this time. Their progress from Chorrol was terrible. She was thinking that he might be correct that walking would be quicker. She'd had to rent a horse from the stables as she'd never bothered purchasing her own. With the amount of traveling she did and the fact that she couldn't teleport a horse she'd decided against owning one. Even if she had to walk she could get from one side of Cyrodiil to the other within a day. It was undoubtedly the smallest of all the provinces.

"Yes, I do." She tried to keep her frustration out of her voice as she looked at the old horse below her. While riding had never been her preferred method of travel she was a competent horsewoman. At least, so long as she had a competent horse. She decided to try one last technique before abandoning the white and brown mare to her own devices and jogging along beside Modryn towards Leyawiin. She pulled the bridle to the side so that the paint horse could see behind her. Lilia shot a small fireball into the ground a short distance away. Her horse almost threw her off as she reared up in fright. Lilia found herself flying past Modryn, the Dark Elf laughing loudly at her plight.

The journey continued fitfully but they eventually arrived at Arpenia, an ancient Aylied ruin northeast of Leyawiin. As Lilia dismounted and moved to follow the Fighters Guild Champion to the underground fortress she again pondered if she'd made the correct choice in coming with him.

The New Year was already over a week old and she'd been traveling around constantly since her unhappy night in Bruma. She hadn't gone back there yet. She prayed daily to the Gods that Allian had been too drunk to remember what happened in the courtyard. And she didn't want to see Carius - she still wasn't sure just what the look on his face had meant.

She'd tried getting a task from Raminus but he didn't have anything for her to do at the moment. She was still surprised that he'd tried to check up on her. If he wasn't a member of the council she'd be more inclined to discuss her past with him, but so long as he was she didn't feel she could trust him with anything sensitive. Her attempt to visit with Methredhel had been embarrassing for both of them. Lilia had been staring up at the stars as she'd knocked, and when the mer had eventually answered the door she'd noticed her disheveled appearance and Armand's expression of annoyance. She'd quickly apologized to them and left the Imperial City.

Lilia had been so desperate for things to do she'd gone to see Burz gro-Kash. His manners hadn't improved but he'd given her a quick task to clear out some a couple of ogres causing trouble out in the mountains. When she'd finished it and asked for another one he'd suggested she go talk to Modryn. Apparently the Fighters Guild was falling on hard times and work was scarce. A new band of mercenaries known as the Blackwood Company had been somehow acquiring most of the contracts that the guild normally received.

She'd gone first to the Arena. Much to Owyn's surprise she'd suited up and asked for a match. This time she hadn't bothered wasting her time on fancy tricks. The not particularly talented Orc hadn't lasted three minutes under her flurry of blows. His axe was far too short to get within reach of her and she'd struck hard and fast with her staff. Owyn still didn't seem pleased with her when she reported back in to him. While she'd fought much better, surprisingly better, she'd finished it so quickly he was afraid the fans would demand a refund. Lilia couldn't care less. She'd earned the right to fight when and how she wished just like the others. After her last training session with Synderius she'd decided to start accepting matches again. If the Gods weren't going to do anything about the waste of life in the Arena she was at least going to try and correct things.

After that she had traveled to the Mages Guild in Chorrol to wish Erthor a happy New Year. From the tales he and Athragar told her, evidenced by the bits of boar still stuck to the ceiling and the scorch marks on the floor, she'd been rather disappointed that she hadn't attended the dinner. If they were ever to do it again she'd definitely come and bring Fathis with her. She couldn't wait to tell the Dark Elf all about the conjurers' spectacularly failed experiment. She'd giggled as the two Bosmers began to discuss just how to control things better next time. It had been the first time she'd laughed in days.

Presenting herself next door to Oreyn she'd been unable to stop herself from venting when he'd told her that he had nothing for her to do. After her outburst he'd invited her to meet him at his house that evening to discuss something in private. He'd noticed the panic on her face and had hastily assured her that it wasn't a ploy to make advances at her. Her relief had been tangible. She'd whiled away the time in the Mages Guild, helping the two Wood Elves scrape meat from the walls and ceiling, and listening to them as they told her more about the various types of daedra that inhabited the fiery planes of Oblivion. It sounded like a very terrible place to her.

That evening Modryn had discussed the threat that the Blackwood Company posed to the Guild as they'd hidden inside his small home. He'd told her that the fighters were crazy in battle, heedless of themselves and others. They were actively stealing contracts away from the Fighter's Guild, completing them before the guild members had a chance. A recent contract to murder a bandit leader and eliminate the threat of his gang had been completed suspiciously quickly by the Blackwood Company. Modryn had reason to believe that Azani Blackheart, the Redguard bandit leader, was still alive. He wanted to expose their lies and complete the contract, and he wanted Lilia to come with him.

She'd been surprised at his choice, and he'd explained that he suspected something magical was being done to the Blackwood fighters. His own magical skills were limited, but he'd heard that she was a member of the Mages Guild as well as the Fighter's Guild. The Dunmer hadn't said that she also seemed crazy enough to do it - she'd inferred that herself. They'd set out the next morning on horseback to search for Azani's body.

"You ready?" Modryn was waving his ebony mace around in his hand as he stretched after the long trip. As Lilia had expected he had far better weapons and armour than steel. He was dressed in high quality ebony heavy armour, most likely brought with him from Morrowind. She tried not to make jokes about his vanity. The mer didn't bother wearing a helmet over his mohawk. She strongly suspected he didn't want to crush his hair.

She pulled out her bow and followed him to the plain white stone doors that led down into Arpenia. She couldn't see any figures moving around down there. Perhaps their trip had been a complete waste of time. Maybe the Blackwood Company had completed the contract. But as she and Modryn moved in and explored the small space it quickly became apparent that there hadn't been any battle here at all. There were no bloodstains, no arrows in the corners, and no bodies. Modryn uttered a few choice oaths at the discovery.

"Come. I have an idea of where they might be." Something about his tone made her not question his sources of information. He was a secretive mer - this wasn't even official guild business that they were on. If something went wrong the Fighters Guild would do nothing to aid them.

The horses were walked rather than ridden north to a larger Aylied ruin known as Atatar. Lilia recognized the area. She'd drowned Andreas Draconis in a shallow pond just west of here. She never liked to think of her contracts. Much as they'd all deserved death she'd murdered them in cold blood and she didn't like the fact that she'd been able to do so. As they approached the entrance to Atatar Lilia could see figures moving around inside. They were either people or zombies, and she wasn't sure which she'd prefer at this point. Probably people.

"There's several figures in there. Can you cast a detect life spell?" She asked. Modryn shook his head in response. "May I cast it on you?"

"Sure." He replied. Lilia pulled off her left gauntlet and moved her hand up to his face. It was the only exposed piece of flesh he had available. The Dark Elf caught her wrist with his right hand and brought the arm down to stare at the mark on the back of her hand.

"What is that?" He was looking at her curiously. "I don't remember seeing it last time we met."

"I lost a bet. Too much jagga. Now are you going to let me cast the spell or what?" Lilia wasn't about to start discussing her run-ins with Necromancers with the mer. Modryn released her wrist and she used her own magicka to cast the spell for him. Whatever limited talents he had she wanted him to be able to use them.

"Hmm. There's far more of them than us." He grinned a familiar mischievous grin at her. "This will be fun."

"Do you mind if we try it my way first?" She asked as respectfully as she could. Fighting off bandits one at a time was far preferable to fighting them all at once.

"What way would that be?" The Champion was intrigued.

"Stealth. I know you can move quietly when you want to. Will you let me lead?"

Modryn seemed amused by the concept. With a sweep of his mace he indicated for her to go ahead. Drawing out her bow and an arrow Lilia stepped down into the dark halls below.

Pale blue crystals were growing haphazardly in the walls, they were known as welkynds. Their magical properties were well documented but little was understood as to how or why they grew, or how the Ayleids had managed to form them into powerful welkynd stones; crystals that could be used to refill a mage's magicka instantly. Lilia took a small comfort from their soft magical light. At least she didn't need to worry about torches or light spells. As they moved down the spiral staircase and into the long hallway they were both checking the walls and floors for traps. She suspected that they wouldn't find many, if any. Bandits tended not to survive long in highly trapped ruins. Too much drinking often led to vastly reduced numbers.

So when Modryn pulled her back as a steel blade sliced through the air in front of her she was greatly surprised. They watched as the blades moved in and out of the walls before them. There was a pattern to the timing and after a few minutes of watching they made their way individually through the blades. Stepping out from a curve in the hallway they found a bandit directly in front of them looking over a low stone railing to the floor below. Lilia took careful aim and knocked her boot against Modryn's. The Redguard whipped her head around at the sound and Lilia sent her arrow into the woman's eye. She was much better at archery now. There were many dead mud crabs, wolves, bears, and even a land dreugh to thank for that. Every time she approached a shrine to Kynareth she wondered if the nature Goddess would bless her or smite her. So far she remained unsmitten.

"Nice shot." Modryn whispered to her. They made their way down a flight of stairs into the large empty room below. Sticking close to the wall they advanced out of sight of the patrolling bandit they could both see through the walls ahead. Lilia stood next to the hallway and readied her bow. She felt it being drawn gently behind her; Modryn wanted a turn. She quickly handed the weapon and arrow to him and watched as he readied it. His eyes narrowed to focus as he stepped forward. The arrow shot out and Lilia poked her head around to watch its flight. It caught the Bosmer squarely in the back, the ebony point penetrating the soft iron cuirass and puncturing his heart.

"Nice shot." She was impressed. "Here, take the quiver. I can always use spells if I have to." She felt him pull the ebony arrows off her. Lilia was sure Thoronir was making a small fortune ordering her so many of them but she couldn't resist. Other than rare daedric they were the strongest type she could readily find. Glass arrows always worried her that they would shatter on impact, even though she'd been assured that wasn't the case.

As they pressed further into the ruins Lilia studied the way Modryn handled her bow. Even though she'd had extensive training in its use throughout her life she always found something to learn from watching others, even if it was occasionally what not to do. He was enjoying showing off, trying to hit distant or moving targets. So far he'd struck true, much to the detriment of the bandits. They'd moved through two magically enchanted doors and Lilia was beginning to wonder just how large the underground city was. As they emerged at the bottom of a staircase she looked in awe at the room before her. A long stone bridge lay in front of them. On either side was a huge cavernous space - the ceiling high above and the floor far below. She wondered what the room had been used for in the past. She'd not done much studying of Aylied culture. Modryn barred her path with her bow.

"Let me go first. And I'll buy you more arrows later." He whispered at her. Lilia watched as he stood at the end of the walkway and proceeded to methodically fire arrows at the ground in front of them. Satisfied that it wasn't trapped he led her forward to a set of thick pillars that supported the path. Again he sent a series of arrows into the hard stone before them. Again nothing happened, other than arrows skittering off the sides, and they moved forward to the next pillars. Modryn casually aimed the bow at the stone before them and fired.

With a loud crack the entire section of walkway crumbled away to the ground far below. The distance was too great for either of them to jump.

"I have an idea." Lilia was sure the Dunmer would laugh at her but she saw no other way to move forward. "Climb on my back." She hunched down in front of him.

"There is no way you're going to be able to leap across this chasm with me on your back, mage or not." Modryn was giving her a very odd look.

"I'm not going to jump. I'm going to levitate." He remained unconvinced. "Fine. I'll show you." Lilia cast her spell and stood up. Walking forward she heard Modryn sigh as she stepped out onto the empty air in front of her. She came back over and hunched down once more.

It was rather awkward, arranging his ebony encased limbs around her bulky dwarven cuirass, but they finally managed to work it out. Lilia found she could barely stand under the combined weight and she lurched forward across the air. By the time she reached the balcony in front of them her leg muscles were on fire and her shoulders were in agony, partly from the weight, and partly from how hard Modryn was squeezing her. She dumped him rather unceremoniously on the ground.

"When we tell the story you're forbidden from mentioning that you gave me a piggyback ride." Modryn had straightened up and was brushing the dirt from his armour.

"Don't worry. I'm certainly never going to say a word." Lilia was sending restoration magic into her body but nothing was happening. She made a mental note to seek out a skilled restoration instructor. She'd never learnt much beyond healing injuries, curing poisons, and curing disease. If she could learn how to restore her fatigue she'd be very happy. Modryn handed her back her bow and quiver. They could both see that only one figure remained in the ruins and they'd yet to encounter a massive Redguard warrior. If Azani Blackheart was alive then he was probably right beyond the door at the bottom of the stairs. She strapped the bow and arrows to her back and drew out her sword. They crept down the narrow staircase and waited. The warrior was standing as if ready for battle and looking right at the door between them. He probably was able to see them magically as they could see him.

Modryn touched the door and it slid apart. He rushed into the room to the right side with Lilia heading to the left. The sight of Azani was impressive. His powerful build was encased in enchanted elven armour. She had a brief absurd stab of jealousy over his matching golden ensemble. The feeling quickly passed as he charged right for her, obviously viewing her as less of a threat than the Dunmer clad in ebony. She leapt to the side and shot out a paralyzation spell that bounced off his chest harmlessly. Godsdamned spell reflection enchantment. She still couldn't believe that mages would consider themselves so superior over warriors covered in metal that the mages themselves had enchanted with resistances to their own magicka.

Azani was still running towards her, Modryn in pursuit. Jumping up Lilia brought her sword up to block the Redguard's. His strength was impressive but she managed to remain standing as his elven claymore crashed against her shortsword. She kicked out at his knee with the flat of her right foot.

The pain shot up through her leg as she hopped backwards away from his continued attacks. The steel of her boot had broken from the impact and shards of metal were imbedded in the sole of her foot. As his claymore swung down in a powerful two handed stroke she twisted to the side and jumped forward, catching his right arm under her left, locking it in tight with her armpit. She used the weight of her legs to swing herself across his back, spinning him around slightly with her momentum. As she slipped off his arm she saw Modryn's heavy mace connect directly into the Redguard's face. She landed heavily ass first on the cold stone floor.

"Not quite as nimble as the first time I met you, but not bad for someone with one useless foot." Modryn said as he knelt down beside her and tried to tug the boot off. Her piercing scream stopped him cold.

"The metal's curved up inside. You're going to tear the whole bloody bottom off if you do that. Want to know what really happened to my dwarven cuirass? Watch." She managed to speak through gritted teeth. She waved Modryn back and held her right foot as far away from herself as she could. Magical fire, as hot as she could make it, washed over the boot. The steel quickly melted away to the floor below. As she moved her foot away from the sizzling metal she sent the strongest restoration magic she could into her bleeding sole. Rolling to the side she let her leg rest on the floor as she spread out her arms, her back pressed against the cold stone. She was exhausted.

"C'mon boot. We're not done yet." Modryn kicked her steel covered left foot and moved off towards Azani's body. Lilia sent a few more rounds of healing to her right foot before pulling it towards herself to take a look at it. The skin was healed but the sole was covered in drying blood. With a groan she lurched back up to standing. The slight height difference between her booted foot and her flat foot felt very awkward.

Modryn had pried off the Redguard's gauntlets and was busy working a ring off the man's index finger. Lilia saw that it was very unusual - a pearl, yellow in hue, was surrounded by gold worked in a starburst pattern. She'd never seen anything like it. She took her gloves off and ran her hands over the elven armour that covered the dead man's body. The only piece she considered taking for her own was his cuirass of spell reflection. But it would only work against spells that hit her in the torso. If a fireball were to slam against her legs her upper body would be vulnerable to the flames. The rest of his gear was enchanted with frost resistance which was not something she particularly needed.

Looking up she was aware that Modryn was watching her with an odd expression on his face. She realized that it must have looked rather unusual, the way she had been fondling a dead man. Pulling her gauntlets back on she gave him her iciest glare. He laughed in response.

"You're certainly a strange one. Let's get you out of here." They found a side door with a long staircase that seemed to lead back to the entrance. A button, glowing welkynd crystal set in the centre, caused a secret wall to fall away at the top of the steps when pushed. They were at the bottom of the curved staircase they'd first entered in on. At least the mystery of how the bandits had survived the traps was solved. They made their way back up to the clear day.

Modryn was gracious enough to trade horses with her and he quickly discovered just how obstinate the nag could be. They'd barely gotten to the highway when Lilia offered to switch back. Even with one bare foot she could still walk to Chorrol faster than their current pace. The rest of the journey went by much quicker, aided by a few well-placed fireballs, and by the time they returned to the guild hall it was almost midnight.

"Stay here. I have something for you I think you'll like." Modryn told her as he headed up the stairs. Lilia sat down heavily in a chair at the dining table. She wasn't sure she wanted to know what Modryn was fetching for her. He seemed to be rummaging around Vilena's office. His footsteps were even quieter as he came back down to the main floor - he moved even better in his ebony armour than his steel. The Dunmer had his hands behind his back and Lilia was sure he was going to ask her to pick one, like a child. Instead he brought them in front of himself with a dramatic flourish.

"Here you go. New boots for the new boot. You've earned them." He presented her with a pair of glass boots. Seeing her surprised look he explained. "Sometimes members find items that could be useful when on assignment. If we'd had bigger packs I would have brought Blackheart's armour back with us. These boots are too small to fit most of the men's feet and they've been gathering dust for the last few months. Try them on."

Lilia tugged the right boot over her foot and was pleased to find it just a little loose. A skilled blacksmith could easily fit them for her. Looking down she noted that while they were substantially better quality than the steel, the reflective emerald glass really wasn't helping her appearance any.

"Thank you. Let me know if you ever have any of these unofficial assignments again." She was sincere in the offer. Modryn had been right. That had been fun. Well, fun in a rather painful way.


	51. Chapter 51: Enthralling

"Halt!" The unmistakable sound of an annoyed guard made Lilia pause where she stood. She'd half been expecting this and she removed her hand from the door of Hammer and Axe with a sigh. Turning around she found Carius running towards her. Sliding towards her was a better description - the ground was coated in a sheet of ice.

"Where did you go? Where have you been?" His dark brows were knitted together and he didn't look happy to see her. Lilia frowned. She'd wanted to slip into town, get her boots fitted, and then head off to the University and enchant them with fire resistance. Dealing with Carius had not been a part of the plan.

"I went home, and I've been around. What business is it of yours?" He blinked in confusion at her words.

"It's my business because you're my friend. Come, let's get out of the wind." Lilia let him lead her up to the Jerall View Inn. Hafid was standing behind the bar on the far wall and a large Nord with a very bored expression on his face watched them take a seat in the corner. It was the middle of the day and the tavern was deserted. But at least it was warm and they could speak privately.

"I saw what happened with Allian. Why did you run off like that? I'm sure he's not a very good kisser but that's no excuse for ducking out of the Countess' party early." He was keeping the tone light and she appreciated it. Whatever he'd been thinking when she'd left suddenly it hadn't anything to do with vampires. She was relieved to know that.

"Gods, it was awful. Does Allian remember any of it?" Lilia really wanted to know the answer to her question.

"No, thankfully. And you don't need to worry about a repeat performance." She gave him a strange look at his words. What had he done to the jailor?

Seeing her expression he hastened to continue. "I didn't beat him up, if that's what you're thinking. Though I'll do it if it will make you feel better." He gave her a wink.

"What did you do to him then? By the Nine, tell me that you didn't have a manly heart-to-heart with him." Allian would probably self-destruct in a burst of shameful flames when she showed up at the castle if Carius had spoken with him. She didn't dislike the young jailor, she just really wasn't interested. Even if she was, there was nothing that could come of it. But she didn't want him to be embarrassed. She was already embarrassed enough for the both of them.

"No. It was Jorundr's idea."

"You told Jorundr?" Lilia really didn't want to go to the castle now.

"He saw you run off and asked me what happened. I swore him to secrecy though. We were both worried about you." She noticed that he still wasn't telling her just what they'd done to Allian.

"Carius Runellius of the City Watch, if you don't tell me what you did right now I'm going to get very angry indeed." She let a small flame flicker off the end of the finger she was pointing at him.

"Fine. Well, you know how sound can carry up from the dungeon? I accidentally on purpose left the metal door open and had a loud conversation with Jorundr while Allian was at the desk."

"Conversation about what?" Carius seemed to blush a bit at the question and Lilia resisted the urge to kick him. She didn't think she would like what she was about to hear.

"It was Jorundr's idea. He knows that Allian is a little creeped out by Khajiits." Lilia raised a menacing fist at the way he was stalling and he hastily continued. "Fine. We had a conversation about your drunken antics with J'Skar in the room behind the Countess' audience chamber."

She punched him hard in the arm. "J'Skar! You're spreading rumours about me and J'Skar! I can't believe this." She gave him a wicked smile as she coated her hands in flames. "Perhaps its time I further your education in the practical applications of destruction magic."

"Whoa!" Carius held out his hands towards her. "I made sure that nobody else heard, and judging by the green tinge on Allian's face when I walked by him afterwards I don't think he'll be spreading the tale."

She let the flames die back out. If Allian didn't repeat the tale, if Carius, Jorundr and Lyra kept the incident quiet, if everything worked out then she didn't have anything to worry about. But that was far too many ifs for her liking. Maybe she should have Carius beat up the young man for her. It might make her a feel a bit better about the whole situation. Thinking about it she preferred the thought of beating up Carius and Jorundr herself. Her and J'Skar!

* * *

Glancing around the room she again made sure that no one was about. It was four in the morning and all of the mages seemed to be asleep. She'd hidden invisible in the corner of the Chironasium until Martina had locked the doors as she'd left the building. Lilia was still amazed at how few people bothered with a detect life spell.

She stood in front of the altar of enchantment and opened her pack. Her new boots were on top where she'd left them. Fjortried had done an excellent job fitting them just for her, and she'd not only paid him but she'd also given him her lone enchanted steel boot as well. He'd been a bit amused when she'd told him that its mate had met the same fate as the forearm of her dwarven cuirass, though she'd left what fate that was a complete mystery. But he'd accepted it anyway. She was sure he'd come up with some way to use it. The Nord liked to stockpile various bits and pieces of armour, for what purpose she couldn't even guess.

Her quick visit to the castle had seemed to confirm Carius' words. Allian had looked a little grossed out by her when she'd signed in, and a few pointed questions about the Countess to Jorundr had quickly cured the Nord of any desire to tease her. They'd had a very intense sword-fighting lesson. Several mop handles lost their lives in the process. Jorundr had received several rather painful bruises that she hadn't healed for him. She still couldn't believe the audacity of his idea. Her and J'Skar!

Reaching deep into the bottom of the bag she moved her hand around until she felt the cool crystal brush against her fingertips. Glancing around for the seven millionth time she made sure that she was alone. Lilia quickly pulled out the black soul gem.

Trying to keep herself calm she placed the boots on the altar and prepared to enchant them. When the magic was ready she touched the soul gem to the altar. A brilliant flash of light blinded her briefly. When she could see again the remains of the soul gem were nowhere to be found and her glass boots now sparkled with a remarkably powerful enchantment. Touching them she was amazed at how much stronger it was than what she'd been able to put on her steel boots. Taking one last look around, making sure that not even the tiniest shard of the dark purple crystal remained, she teleported back to her home on the waterfront.

* * *

Irlov Jarol gave her the same scornful expression he'd made the first time he'd seen her in her armour. He seemed to be even less impressed by her new boots. Lilia didn't care. It wasn't him that she needed to see.

"Ah, Magician Lefevre. It's good to finally meet you. Raminus has told us so much about you." Arch Mage Hanibal Traven was greeting her warmly. The eyes of the council were all upon her, most were busy taking in her unusual assortment of armour and weaponry. Only Raminus was intently watching her face. He'd seemed a little nervous when he'd told her that the Arch Magister wanted to speak personally with her. She was sure he remembered her uncomplimentary comments about the Breton that she'd made down on the shore.

"It's Lilia. Just Lilia. Lefevre was my grandmother's name. My mother used it to try to fit in better with the guild but I do not share her concerns. Though I would prefer you address me simply as Magician." Her tone was icily polite as she spoke. Regardless the eyebrows of the council shot up at her words. Raminus looked very surprised by what she said. She hadn't minded him calling her by her grandmother's last name. Since he'd always addressed his correspondence to her mother as Magician Lefevre she'd gotten a bit of a kick out of hearing him call her the same thing. But Traven had no shared history with her and she didn't want him calling her by anything except her rank.

"Very well Magician. Do you know why I've invited you here?" Hanibal was still speaking warmly to her and that only irritated her further. The man was such a master of deception.

"Of course not." She tried to keep her expression blank as she surveyed the room. The five council members were seated at a large round table that took up most of the circular space. The tabletop was enchanted with mystical runes whose purpose she had no clue of. A few display cases containing magical artifacts were set against the stone block wall. Small circular pads set into the floor provided the means of moving up and down through the ancient Aylied tower. The runes inscribed on them allowed them to act as teleportation pads between the levels. Lilia wondered if the ancient race of elves had first set them in the floor, or if they'd been added by the guild.

A small snort from Maranique Julalanie brought Lilia's attentions over to the Imperial Battlemage. She was the Breton in charge of the Battlemages and the only member of the council who wasn't a Master Wizard. Her full lips were in a contemptuous sneer and as Lilia looked at her she noticed that the Warlock seemed to be glowing gently, as if coated in illusion magic. It would explain why she was so unnaturally attractive. Memories of the rumours that passed through the far courts of the Empire came to mind. The stories about Emperor Uriel had been numerous - how he'd had a roving eye, how he'd never trusted any competent mage after his imprisonment by Jagar Tharn, and how he'd rewarded those who performed services for him based on favouritism rather than merit. If any of the rumours were true then Lilia had an idea of how the young Breton had ended up with a seat on the council and at the helm of the Battlemages.

"Really? I'm surprised you don't." Traven gave her a friendly smile, the corners of his blue eyes crinkling gently. Lilia neither trusted nor liked the man and didn't appreciate his familiar attitude. "After all, you've unfortunately been rather involved with our troubles with the Necromancers."

"Yes, almost too involved." Irlov Jarol was looking at her gauntlets with narrowed eyes. "Show us your mark. I want to see for myself that Raminus wasn't mistaken in his identification of it."

"No." She replied flatly. Lilia had met the balding Imperial before when she'd reported to him to get the key to Vahtacen. His face was moon shaped and his nose a bit too wide for her tastes. He'd stared at her gloved left hand the entire time they'd spoken and it had annoyed her greatly.

"That's not necessary Irlov." Caranya smiled sweetly at Lilia as she spoke. The High Elf wore her dark hair piled up on her head and she was looking at Lilia's face with her large amber eyes. "I'm sure Raminus was correct. The Magician doesn't need to be treated so rudely. After all, she's already proved her loyalty to us several times."

The Altmer's attitude pleased Lilia. She seemed to be a very astute mer. Perhaps she could be trusted, unlike the rest of the council.

"Thank you." She gave Caranya a small smile in response. Her eyes returned to meet Hanibal's and her smile disappeared. "Was there something you needed of me? I do have other business to attend to."

"Yes. There is a small matter that we'd like you to look into. The Necromancers aren't the only ones with spies. We've had an informant in their ranks for over a year now. Recently he's stopped his correspondence and we need someone to check up on him." Traven replied.

"I've told you, he's a traitor. We shouldn't be checking up on him! We should be sending a battalion of Battlemages to punish him!" Irlov's voice was raised and Lilia was aware of the tension in the room. She was sure that the council wasn't in agreement with the plan to send her to meet with the Mages Guild spy. She didn't particularly like the idea either.

"He's not a traitor. The council has already voted on the matter and the discussion is over." Caranya assumed the familiar High Elf expression of superiority as she spoke down to Irlov. There didn't seem to be much love lost between the two of them.

Arch Mage Traven waited to make sure that nobody else wished to speak before proceeding. "Mucianas Alias volunteered for the mission when we began hearing reports of increased Necromancer activity throughout Cyrodiil. He's been faithfully reporting back to us ever since. We have no reason to believe at this point that he's switched allegiances. The last known location he was at was Nenyond Twyll, an Aylied ruin northwest of Bravil. Since you are not a servant of Mannimarco the council feels that you can be trusted to bring us back the truth. While this is merely an information gathering assignment there is the possibility that you may encounter Necromancers, so make sure that you are prepared. It would not do to lose another member of the guild."

Lilia could feel the stares as the council took in her strange ensemble once more. It might not look impressive, but she was far more comfortable with it than if everything matched. The dwarven cuirass and orcish gauntlets protected her torso and hands, where weapons would be most likely to hit her body in a fight. The elven greaves and glass boots were light and flexible, allowing her to move freely out of the way of attacks. And her mithril helm not only covered her head and the back of her neck without weighing too much, it also hid her hair rather nicely, allowing her at least some degree of anonymity. And the fire resistance enchantments were worth their weight in gold to her.

"And Magician, this time we do expect you to go straight there and back. Please do not take the opportunity to sightsee." Traven's voice was polite but a little cooler. Lilia suppressed an urge to grin. Apparently she had annoyed the council when she'd failed to report in after her trip to Skingrad. She was pleased that it had nettled them.

"Of course. Is there anything else?" She took one final look at the eyes of each of the council members. Maranique's aqua eyes were narrowed in distaste, Irlov's were still fixed firmly on her left hand, Traven's were looking back innocently at her, Raminus seemed to be studying her, and Caranya looked rather pleased with Lilia. Seeing that no one was inclined to speak she continued. "In that case I'll leave right away. Good day."

As she stepped onto the teleportation pad to return to the lobby of the Mages Guild she caught Irlov's voice as he whispered quietly to Maranique. She could only make out the words 'can't be trusted' and 'one of them.' Anger coursed through her. How dare he even suspect her of being a Necromancer! As if she would ever perform their Dark magics!

* * *

Cold air swirled around her glass-clad feet and Lilia cursed the council of mages once more. Nenyond Twyll, while heavily trapped, was also deserted. Moving into the underground Aylied city Lilia had found a small skull lying at the entrance of the ruins. She'd used telekinesis to bounce it off the floor, walls, and ceilings as she'd explored the white stone passages, now grey with damp and age. The skull had a hole punched through it when it had triggered a particularly nasty trap in the floor. A large section of the stone had shot up to the ceiling to meet several long and wickedly sharp spikes. It had taken Lilia a minute to use her magic to pull the bone off again.

Modryn Oreyn had told her a bit about the Ayleids and their cities on the way back from Atatar. Lilia sincerely hoped that she wouldn't have to go into many more of the underground domains of the wicked Elves. The creatures that inhabited most of them rivaled the traps in terms of their destructive power.

So the complete lack of anything either living or undead was disturbing to her. She was using only the detect life ability that her vampire vision provided and she'd already explored two empty sections of the ruins. An enchanted metal door with a shimmering tree motif wrought in silver magicka on it, stood in front of her. Placing her hand upon it the door slid open and again Lilia marveled at the magic that the place contained. The Ayleids, while cruel, had certainly been masterful mages.

Stepping through the door, which slid gently closed behind her, she realized she was in a branching passageway. The hallway stretched out far ahead of her with openings to other hallways spaced out on both the right and left hand walls. She sent the skull ricocheting in a diamond pattern along the hall, watching its progress as it went. Wall, ceiling, wall, floor; the clattering bone bounced off the white stone. Further back it went until it reached the first junction, the opening on the right hand wall connecting to another passageway.

Suddenly the skull exploded as powerful shock magicka blasted into it. Lilia cast her detect life spell and realized that there was a person standing at the far end of the passageway out of range of smell. A shuffling figure lay beyond it.

"I'm so glad you could join the party dear." A female voice, slightly aged with a strong Breton accent, called out to her. "We've been expecting you. You're earlier than we thought, I'm afraid I'm the only one here to greet you properly. But you're still too late to see the guest of honour. He's no longer...available."

Lilia fought off a desire to flee. It was a trap. Someone had informed the Necromancers of her task. She had a suspicion of just who the guest of honour was that the Breton was referring to. Who else had the council told of her assignment?

"Don't be shy dear. Come join me. I'll be much more gentle than Ulliceta. Haven't you always wondered what it would be like to complete your transformation? I know the King of Worms will be ever so pleased to have you in his thrall. And I'm sure Mucianus would be delighted to have company."

The cold air in the hallway began curling up her legs and Lilia realized that it was evil she was feeling, not a draft. She felt chilled to the core. This Breton had turned Mucianus into a worm thrall, the very thing that Lilia had almost become. And the Necromancer seemed more than ready and able to do it again. Anger surged through her at the thought. While the Breton might be able to kill her, she'd never let herself be taken alive.

She crept along the right hand wall of the passageway and was displeased to see the Necromancer's head follow her movements. The woman must also have a detect life spell active. Lilia stopped at the edge of the opening to the passageway.

"Almost there dear. Just a few more steps and you can join us for eternity. You'll never need to...Ah!"

Lilia opened her eyes and leapt into the passage, dodging out of the way of the deadly lightning the Necromancer had cast blindly down the hallway. Her most damaging shock spell was absorbed by the dark haired Breton and the woman crumpled to the floor. Lilia had created a light spell, as powerful as she could conjure it, right where the Necromancer had been staring intently as she waited for her to step out from behind the wall. The brilliant light had temporarily blinded the Dark Mage, allowing Lilia to take advantage of the element of surprise. Illusion magic, while not traditionally viewed as an offensive branch of magical study, was something that she found extremely useful. Just as telekinesis could be used for harm, and destruction magic for life saving warmth, Lilia found that most spells could be used for something other than their original intended purpose. Doing so often increased her chances of survival.

She looked down at the dead Necromancer and drew out her shortsword. Between the intense light spell and the extremely powerful shock spell she was out of magicka. It would take a little while for it to recharge, the magical energy being drawn into her body from the world around her. Just how and why magicka worked was still a mystery despite centuries of research and debate among the wisest of wizards.

Taking her time she methodically cut up the body into pieces, her flame enchanted blade searing the flesh as it tore through it. As she struck into the Breton's left hip she felt something solid skitter away from the blade, undamaged by the contact. Fishing through the black robes Lilia pulled out a familiar dark purple crystal; an empty black soul gem. She tucked it into her pack and continued dismembering the corpse. The pieces she left behind were extra small. Lilia hadn't forgotten what the woman had said about Mucianus.

Standing Lilia looked towards the arched doorway in front of her. The shuffling purple figure had stopped shuffling with the death of the Necromancer and was now standing immobile off to the side in the room beyond. The stench of undead flesh was unmistakable. Keeping her shortsword at the ready Lilia walked into the room and turned to look at Mucianus Alias, spy for the Mages Guild, and worm thrall of Mannimarco.

Patches of his brown hair still clung to his head and his brown eyes were wide open, slightly clouded, staring off into nothingness. The flesh of his body was grey and decayed but he was still mostly intact. A small strip dangled off of his right forearm and ragged pieces were trailing behind his heels. His constant shuffling must have torn the rotten skin loose. But it was the sight of the symbol on the back of his left hand that caused Lilia to panic. This is what her body would have become, this is what she'd been transforming into. She knew exactly what it felt like to have her flesh rot around her, her body decomposing as she still lived, and she struggled to remain calm as those five days worth of memories pushed into her mind bringing back every sound, smell, and sensation she'd experienced all at once.

Her magicka, recharged once more, incinerated the body of Mucianus Alias. He was no longer in anyone's thrall.


	52. Chapter 52: Tact and Diplomacy

The eyes of the council were again upon her, only this time they all seemed to be studying her. After incinerating the ill-fated Mucianus and saying a brief prayer for his soul Lilia had transported back to the Imperial City. She'd refreshed her magical anchor and then had made her way directly to the University through the blizzard that was currently creating large drifts of snow against the walls, angled drunkenly by the icy winds. She'd last met with them late this morning and it was obvious that they were pondering her remarkably quick return. She suspected that Raminus had not shared the fact that she knew how to teleport, though she was sure the members of the council would quickly be able to deduce it. For some reason the spell was relatively unused in Cyrodiil. In her experiences in the outlying provinces it was far more common. In Morrowind they even had three different versions, but she'd only ever learnt the one.

"A worm thrall? And he's been conveniently turned into ash? Did the Necromancer suffer the same fate?" Irlov Jarol did not seem to believe her tale. His tone was very hostile as he questioned her.

"No. You'll find her pieces on the lowest level if you want to go look for yourself. It's an easy journey to get there, no traps at all." She gave the man a wicked smile as she lied. The thought of a long metal spike poking up out of his circular head, like a grape on a toothpick, pleased her. He really didn't like her and the feeling was mutual.

"Irlov." Caranya's voice held a note of warning as she hushed the Imperial. She turned her eyes back to Lilia and gave her another soft smile. But her golden eyes didn't smile along, too busy studying Lilia intently. "How did you manage to kill the Necromancer? If she could create a worm thrall she must have been very powerful."

"I don't know how powerful she was, but a well-placed arrow made her no longer a threat." Lilia gestured to the bow on her back. She was not comfortable revealing the magics that she'd used to defeat the Breton. She didn't want her strategies to be used against her, and she strongly suspected that there was a mole either close to the council or on the council itself.

"An arrow? You killed a Necromancer with an arrow?" Maranique's sultry voice dripped with disdain.

"It worked, didn't it?" Lilia turned her attentions away from the Imperial Battlemage and over to the Arch Mage. He hadn't said anything to her story and he looked as though he was assessing her. She still hadn't ruled him out as a traitor. Since he'd assumed his role things had gotten progressively worse for the guild. "So what's the plan? It's obvious that the Necromancers are enemies of the guild. You must move against them now. Surely Mucianus was able to provide you with some useful information after a year undercover."

"Magician, you forget your place!" Irlov's voice was so loud he was almost shouting. "It is not for you to dictate to the council. Now I don't care what Raminus has said, I order you to show me your hand."

"You want to see it so badly? Fine!" Lilia pulled off her left gauntlet and made an obscene gesture at him with her clear and rippling fist. A chameleon spell hid the mark from view. As Irlov's hands began to glow with white dispel magicka she quickly cast spell reflection. His charge of white energy bounced off her fist and hit Maranique right in the face. As Lilia ducked down under the table, putting its thick bulk between her and Jarol, she noticed that the Battlemage had a very large red pimple right on the tip of her nose.

"Stop it! All of you!" Traven's angry voice carried over the various oaths, curses, and even the shrill cries of fury of Maranique that bounced against the walls. Though the Breton's cries were somewhat muffled by the hands she was holding in front of her nose. "I will not have spells flying about the council chamber. Magician, get out from under the table."

Lilia crawled out as dignified as she could and stood defiantly in front of the mages. They could expel her for all she cared. She could see no compelling reason to try and aid them any longer. She thought that her original assessment had been correct - they were fools.

"You have completed your task and we thank you for it, but do not presume that your opinions are sought. Leave us. We have much to discuss." Hanibal dismissed her coolly.

Lilia stalked over to the teleportation pad and found herself in the deserted foyer. Fools! They were all fools! The servants of the King of Worms were already at war with them - they just didn't see it. The time for talk had passed. It was now time for action.

The soft hum of the teleportation pad behind her made her turn around. Raminus walked over to her and grabbed her arm firmly, pulling her outside into the swirling snow. His face was grim and a little angry and Lilia wasn't in the mood to soothe him. But she allowed him to guide her down to the shore, his robes collecting clumps of snow as they went out into the chill twilight. Out of all of them he was the only one she trusted not to be a traitor. The fear he'd shown when he'd first seen her mark had been genuine, and if he'd been a Necromancer that would not have been his reaction. If he'd been a Necromancer she'd probably already be dead.

"Would it kill you to be civil just once?" Frustration was evident in Raminus' voice. The way he looked at her was the same look her father used to give her when she'd been caught getting into mischief. The resemblance was so uncanny she found herself wanting to laugh despite her foul mood.

"Yes, actually, it might. Raminus, the Necromancers knew I was coming. Who else besides the council was aware of the plan?" He'd released her arm and she was standing facing the water. The sky was amber, the low grey clouds reflecting the torches and fires that lit the Imperial City, glowing with light that was not their own. The water looked black by comparison as it swallowed up the gusts of snow, its high waves relentless in their gluttony.

His frown deepened at the question. "No one. We decided to keep it secret when we discussed it this morning, since Mucianus' allegiance was in question. Are you sure they were warned in advance?"

Lilia told him about the Breton's words and watched as his eyes grew so narrow they almost disappeared.

"Damn it Lilia! Why didn't you tell the council?" His angry shouts were dampened by the wind and snow. "How can they decide what to do when you hold back information?"

"I didn't tell the council because one of the members is a Necromancer." She kept her voice low. He was getting very agitated.

"What! Who told you that?" The Imperial threw his hands up and a wave of fire washed over him. Lilia shrank back until she realized he was just using the magical flames to keep himself warm. He wasn't wearing anything besides his mages robes in the middle of a raging blizzard.

"You did." Her answer caused Raminus to look at her as if she'd sprouted a second head.

"You're mad. I said no such thing."

"Yes you did. Just now. You told me that only the council knew that I was going to investigate Mucianus. The Necromancer was expecting me." If only the council members and herself had known of what she was going to do today then at least one of the six people who'd been in the council chambers must be a spy for the King of Worms. And she was sure it wasn't her, and she was also sure it wasn't Raminus.

"Are you sure the Necromancer didn't see you in the ruins? Your armour is rather distinctive." He pointed towards her multi-metaled cuirass.

"She didn't see me. If she'd been spying on me I would have smelled herrr, err...something fishy." Lilia managed to catch herself before she said too much. Raminus would definitely want to know just how she could smell a Necromancer. "Besides, she was behind a wall. I don't know of any spell that allows you to see through walls."

"This is not good. This is not good at all." Raminus' eyes were searching the shore, examining the snow-encrusted rocks. He shot off a blast of shock magicka at one, sending the snow flying off in large clumps. She could have sworn he muttered something about never finding a mud crab when you needed one as he did so.

"So what are we going to do about it? The council has at least one traitor on it, and the only member I trust is freezing his ass off in the middle of a snowstorm while the rest of them decide the fate of the guild." Raminus was no longer darkly eyeing boulders and was now looking at her instead.

"Before I return to them is there anything else that you failed to report to the council?" Now he looked like a tutor who knew that she'd cheated on a test. Lilia found her lips curling into a smile despite the inhospitable surroundings and rather distressing subject matter.

"No. But I did bring you back something. Think of it as a peace offering. I know you're very curious about them." She reached into her pack and pulled out the dark purple crystal she'd recovered from the body of the Breton. Passing it to Raminus she noticed how he hesitated to grab it.

"A black soul gem." He was examining the crystal. After a few moments his eyes shot back to her. "Why didn't you destroy it when you found it? You know such things are not tolerated by the guild."

"Destroy it? Why would I do that? Besides, you can always use it when you catch the traitor." She smiled at him as she spoke, but her smile faltered as she noticed his expression. He was now looking at her as if she'd sprouted a third head.

"I cannot believe that you just suggested not only using a tool of the Necromancers but doing so in order to capture a person's soul." The Imperial's tone was very cold and he was glowing again with magical flames. Lilia wasn't sure that they were being used entirely for warmth this time.

"Soul? Do you honestly think I would wander around with the soul of a Necromancer on my booo…back? I mean, if it had been full." Her tongue was far too loose tonight. "Don't tell me that you believe the superstitious nonsense about being able to capture souls with crystals." From the look on his face as she replied Lilia had the impression that he did indeed believe the tales.

"So what do they capture? Enlighten me. Now." The mage still hadn't extinguished his flames.

"Life force." Lilia stated matter of factly.

"I fail to see the distinction." The fire was definitely brighter now.

"Don't incinerate me, for Akatosh's sake! I'll explain." She was pleased to see him dim a little. "What happens to a person's soul when they die? Normally, I mean. Like from old age."

"It goes to the Aedra, Daedra, or wherever it belongs." At least he knew the answer to that question.

"Right. And can the soul be summoned back to Nirn? Could a Necromancer recall it with even their most powerful Dark arts?"

"No. Souls don't return." He was still giving her that strange look.

"Exactly. So then tell me, Master Wizard, what exactly is it that the so-called soul gems capture when you kill a reanimated zombie? Or a Necromancer created skeleton?" She made sure not to sound too smug when she asked the question. He really didn't seem happy with her tonight.

"Well, the soul is, um. Hmm." His flames dimmed to a gentle glow. She'd certainly given him something to think about. "So then what do they capture? Why do they come in different strengths?"

"You never studied enchanting, did you?" He shook his head in response to her question. She knew it wasn't a very popular subject among mages. It was considered tedious and very unglamourous. Learning how to make a pair of gloves that glowed with magical light was far less alluring than learning how to conjure a xivilai or freeze a goblin solid. "The crystals capture life force, the energy that keeps the body together, the magical spark that animates us all. Depending on the complexity of the creature the amount of energy available increases substantially. Humans seem to have the most amount of mystical energy in them, which is why the black soul gems create such powerful enchantments. But in order to fill one you need to kill somebody, and that is why the use of black soul gems, as well as the practice of Necromancy, is abhorred."

"Life force?" He asked the question to the black soul gem in his hand. "Does anything capture souls?"

"Not that I'm aware of. I've never heard of such a thing in all of my research into the acolytes of the King of Worms. Even when they create a worm thrall, like Mucianus, they can't contain the soul. It wasn't a pleasant end for him, but he wasn't trapped in that rotten undead prison of flesh. His soul passed on when his body finally died, hopefully to the Nine." Lilia was shivering as she spoke, and not from the cold. "Besides, I can hardly see the Aedra or Daedra allowing a soul of theirs to fall into someone else's hands. They tend to be rather possessive of such things."

"I should head back to the council." He turned to go.

"Wait. Raminus, you said that the council only decided to send me to discover what happened to Mucianus this morning. If so, why did you post a dremora at my front door two days ago?" Lilia had encountered a very unhappy Methredhel after she'd returned home from her illicit activities in the Arcane University. Apparently the demon had been standing under Lilia's leaning porch threatening to eat people's flesh when they passed by. After she'd received the note he had been sent to deliver Lilia had cast a shield spell before she'd tried to calm the angry Bosmer. Methredhel somehow felt that Lilia had been to blame for the unpleasant company.

"Yes. In the midst of all this I almost forgot. I received a letter from Count Hassildor. He has some information for us and he says he'll only give it to you. If you want to help the guild I'd suggest you go and see him at once. He wants you to be discreet. He's a powerful ally to have and a very good source of information." Raminus frowned at the lake. "Especially now that Mucianus is dead. We've no longer got any insight into their activities. The guild is blind. So as a favour to me, try to be civil."

"Very well. On one condition."

"What's that?" His voice was both curious and hesitant.

"You never send a daedra to my home again. If you do then I won't need to worry about my soul anymore. My neighbours will have already released it from Nirn."


	53. Chapter 53: Hard Bargain

The burning logs hissed and popped, sending plumes of sparks dancing up the dark stone chimney. It was early morning but no sunlight ventured into the room. There were no windows to allow its unwanted intrusion. Instead the golden glow of the fire burning brightly under the carved wood mantle, supplemented by candelabras scattered about the room, provided a luxurious soft light as it pushed the velvet shadows into the corners.

A soft swirl of cool air ran past him and he could smell the scent of the outdoors, the moist fragrance of the snow that covered the rolling fields and hid the earthy scents of the grass and mud. She'd used the direct entrance. He'd expected that.

Count Janus Hassildor leaned back in the supple leather chair and watched the flickering purple figure make her way up to his salon. It was a very clever trick of magic and he hoped that she'd eventually teach it to him. It would certainly make his life easier. He'd been surprised when he'd first realized that she was a vampire despite the way her aura flickered like other mortals, but what he'd learnt about her since explained how she'd been able to come up with a unique spell like that.

Lilia certainly was well traveled. Discreet inquiries, placed to the correct sources, had yielded a very patchy history of the unusual Mages Guild member. She was the daughter of Eraden, a well regarded if minor diplomat, and Erissare, a noted researcher into alchemy and Magician of the Mages Guild. They'd died suddenly almost sixteen years ago and Lilia had essentially disappeared from Tamriel, only to resurface in Anvil at the end of last year. Just what she'd been doing and where remained mostly a mystery, but he did know that she'd spent the first five years on the Isle of Arteum before suddenly traveling to Orsinium just in time to run into trouble in the form of Ulliceta gra-Krog.

But it wasn't her studies with the Psijics that piqued his interest, or the fact that she walked about Cyrodiil disguised as a mortal. It was what he'd learnt about her mother's family that filled his mind with intriguing possibilities. She might prove very useful to him, but he needed to know the answer to a few questions first. Getting the information out of her would probably take a bit of work. She'd been so reluctant to admit she was no longer one of the living when they'd last met that he didn't expect her to discuss her vampirism freely.

The woman herself walked into the room, closing the door softly behind her, dressed once more in her strange mish-mash of armour. A new pair of glass boots on her feet did not improve the look. At least the steel ones had matched the mithril helm somewhat. She seemed to notice his eyes as they looked at the vine and leaf motif worked on the silver toned helmet and removed it as a polite sign of respect. She was in his house after all. At least her manners were somewhat improved. For the daughter of a diplomat she certainly hadn't been very diplomatic at their last meeting.

Janus waved his hand slightly and magic coated the walls of the room. She seemed to notice the change and quickly glanced around before turning her attention back to him.

"Greetings to you, Count Hassildor of Skingrad. May the Nine bless and keep you and your fair city. You honour me with your invitation to your charming home." The words were polite but her voice was not friendly. It was downright wary.

"Welcome Magician. I hope your journey was pleasant. Please, have a seat." He waved to the plush burgundy velveteen couch across from him. "Would you care for some refreshments? Tea? Or maybe a little brandy to chase away winter's chill?" Janus watched as she smiled wryly at his polite offer.

"No, thank you. We both know that isn't at all necessary." Looking at her teeth he couldn't detect any fangs - she must keep well fed. "I understand you have some information you want me to relay to the council. I would be delighted to do so." She gave him a smile so warm that it would melt butter, but it didn't extend past her mouth. Her eyes were slightly narrowed as they watched him as if he was a dangerous animal. It was a slightly disconcerting look overall.

"Ah, straight to business then. Well, if you don't mind, then I'll help myself." Janus could feel her curious stares as he poured himself a mug of fragrant tea and selected a couple of sweetrolls from the tray placed on the marble table between them. She seemed confused by what he was doing. "Are you sure I can't tempt you to join me? Salmo is the finest baker in the province."

Lilia shook her head slowly as she glanced from the tray back to him, watching as he enjoyed the delicate pastry. It looked as if she wanted to ask a question but was afraid to do so. Taking a guess he decided to broach the subject of life as a vampire, albeit obliquely.

"You don't eat?" He asked before sipping a warm mouthful of tea. Janus had the brew imported directly from Greenglade. It was a specialty of Black Marsh and one of the most expensive. But it was worth every septim to him. With such refined senses nothing else would do.

"It's not necessary."

"It may not be necessary but it certainly is pleasurable. One of the few perks of our condition, wouldn't you agree?" He gave her a small smile but she didn't return it.

"What happens to the food? When you eat?" Her sudden questions burst out rapidly from her. He was surprised to see her press her lips together and look down to the floor. She seemed embarrassed by her words. This he had not expected.

"That's one of the great mysteries of being a vampire. It just goes away, how and where we don't know. I could eat an entire deer by myself if I chose to with no problems, other than the boredom I would surely experience from such an interminably monotonous meal. I would have thought that you ate regularly, after all, you do spend so much more time with mortals than I do." She was now intently examining the tapestry hanging from the far wall, a finely crafted work depicting the triumph of the slave queen St. Alessia over the Ayleids. Again he suspected she had more questions for him. At least she was no longer trying to pretend that she wasn't a vampire.

"You've not been a vampire very long, have you?" Janus placed his plate back down on the table as he asked. She hesitated to answer as she eyed the fireplace.

"No. I've only been one for about half a year. I'm still learning what it entails." She still wasn't looking at him and he felt a small wave of pity for the woman. It was never easy to come to grips with the fact that you no longer numbered among the living. Six months was a very short time to try and do so.

"If you have any questions I would be pleased to tell you what I know." Her grey eyes were now locked on his face and he could see that she was pondering his words. She certainly didn't seem to trust him. He continued. "I've been a vampire for over fifty years now, so I do have an idea of what I'm talking about."

"Fifty years. That's not very long." She muttered softly in reply. The Count had to contain his disbelief at her words. Fifty years not a long time? Again he wondered how she'd contracted the disease and where. He'd received reports that she'd briefly stayed in the Imperial City last Rain's Hand, even purchasing a home on the waterfront, before vanishing for months. It was during this period that she must have become a vampire. What had she been up to?

"But I suppose it will have to do. I do have a few questions." She sighed as she pulled off her gauntlets and grabbed a sweetroll from the tray. Watching as she bit into it he noticed the way her eyes closed as she savoured it. Salmo was probably the best baker in Tamriel and his pastries were works of art, especially to a vampire's remarkable sense of taste.

"I can tell you about the damaging effects of the sun, our resistance to disease, our immunity to paralysis." He'd had to discover all of those things on his own. It had been a dangerous learning curve.

Lilia waved her left hand airily as she spoke and he noticed the unmistakable sign of a worm thrall on the back of her hand. His source had indeed been correct. "I've already been taught about those things. My questions are a little more random."

The use of the word 'taught' immediately caught his attention and he studied her as she poured herself a cup of tea. Curiosity about just how she'd become a vampire threatened to burst out in a series of very blunt questions. Not that he'd sought out the company of other vampires, but he'd never met one that functioned within society before. All of the ones that he'd met had been monsters, wicked creatures who'd abandoned themselves to their blood lust, living in filthy darkness.

"I'll try to answer them if I can." He laced his fingers together and placed his hands in his lap. She put her cup back down on the table after sipping the amber brew.

"What does it feel like to you, the urge to feed?" She asked quietly.

Janus fought to keep his eyebrows from shooting up. Her question was random indeed. "As a need, like any other. I'm sure you remember what it felt like to be thirsty, or hungry, or tired. The need for blood is the same." Lila's brows knit together at his answer.

"It doesn't, hmm, call to you?" She seemed to be choosing her words carefully.

"Not any more so than if I was incredibly thirsty, for example." What odd questions. Every vampire felt the urge the same, why would she even bother asking?

"Do you ever have nightmares?" Her eyes were scanning his face as she asked.

"Of course." Her body visibly relaxed at his reply. "Every vampire has nightmares. There's several theories about them. That they're blood memories, or a shared clan consciousness, or the attempts of the mind to accept our condition."

"Memories?" Lilia was looking at him strangely now.

"Yes. The nightmares are always about vampires, so it has been suggested that they are memories of our forefathers." He spoke the last word very sarcastically.

"Always about vampires." She spoke the words quietly to the fire. Lilia didn't look happy at the information as she watched the flickering flames. Janus waited for another question. He was sure she had more.

"What about other urges? Besides the need to feed. Do you ever have any other impulses?" The Count wasn't sure what she was asking.

"What sort of impulses? Desire to socialize?" He asked.

"Mmm." She was definitely choosing her words carefully. "Darker urges." She finally said in reply.

He tried not to let his expression change. These were very odd questions indeed. He kept his tone measured as he answered. "Not that I know of, no."

"Yes, of course." She seemed to be muttering up to the plaster ceiling. He'd heard that she was a bit unusual. After all, there were few people who worked for both the Mages Guild and the Fighters Guild, and who chose to fight with a jester's staff in the Arena.

"You didn't become a vampire by choice, did you?" He couldn't contain his curiosity any longer. He'd answered her questions and now it was his turn to ask.

She frowned at the fine china teapot. "No. I wouldn't say that I chose to become one."

"How did it happen?" Her face instantly shut down at the inquiry. It was as if she'd relaxed every muscle, making sure that no emotion could be discerned from her expression.

"I'll not discuss it." Her voice was wary again.

"Forgive my impertinence. I did not mean to upset you." He answered politely. Her eyes were again narrowed, watching him sharply. The wall of distrust once more threatened to loom between them. He decided to risk one last question.

"Why haven't you taken the cure?" As soon as the words left his lips he instantly regretted it. Her entire body had stiffened and she was now looking at him with an intense stare of distaste.

"That is none of your business. Now unless I am mistaken I was summoned here to receive information, not to have tea. What is it you wish to tell the council?"

Janus recognized a closed subject when he heard one. There would be other opportunities to speak to her again. In the meantime she had a more immediate purpose to serve.

"Do you remember Raynil Dralas? I believe I have you to thank for sending him to enjoy the hospitality of the Skingrad dungeons. At least, he enjoyed it until his head was cut off." She was now openly eyeing him with distrust. He pressed on. "I knew Gelebourne was no vampire, but I could not interfere with the incompetence of the guards. Though I did dismiss those who failed to recognize that a vampire does not leave a body when killed. Unfortunately Raynil's exploits have brought the city to the attention of other so called vampire hunters."

She arched an eyebrow and gave him a withering look. He abandoned hope that she'd behave diplomatically. He recognized the expression from their first meeting, when he'd called her gullible. That was no longer a word he'd use to describe her. Paranoid would probably be a better one. After all, she was the daughter of a diplomat. Paranoia was a way of life in the courts of the Empire.

"A group of them, led by a Bosmer named Eridor, are now running around town asking about suspicious individuals. I'm sure I don't need to explain my desire to have them gone, and my inability to handle the matter personally. By lucky coincidence," he emphasized the word lucky with a heavy dose of sarcasm, "a group of vampires have taken up residence within Bloodcrust caverns, just east of the city. Again, I cannot directly interfere with the matter, for obvious reasons."

"You want me to kill them all?" He was a little surprised by her question, that was a rather violent approach to the situation.

"I want you to deal with them as you see fit. I don't care how you do it, but I want the vampire hunters gone, and the vampires destroyed. Of course, I will be unable to offer you any protection should you run afoul of the law. Again, it would not do to become personally involved."

"So you get your problems solved and the guild gets information?" She asked and he nodded curtly in reply. "And what do I get out of it?"

"The satisfaction of a job well done." The Count's tone was frosty as he spoke to the other vampire. Had she forgotten that he could reveal her unique nature to the council if he wished? Though she didn't know that he'd never do so, at least not until he had some more information about her. "Why, what would you seek in reward?"

"Knowledge." She pointed to the silk covered walls around them. "Teach me how to cast your spell. I want to learn how to prevent sound from leaving a closed room."

He didn't stop his eyebrows from flying up in surprise. She really had studied with the Psijics - there were few who were well trained enough in mysticism who could not only feel when he cast his spell but who could also know just what it did. He found it an invaluable spell for political purposes as well as for helping to hide his condition from others.

"I will teach you it only if you teach me how to make my aura shift, like yours." He answered. She looked a bit smug at his words.

"You will teach me in exchange for my work in dealing with your problems. I will teach you as a personal favour. I thank you for your gracious hospitality but I must take my leave. Until later." Lilia stood up and nodded stiffly at him before walking out of the room.

Janus looked back to the dancing flames in the fireplace. A grim smile crossed his lips. She was going to do a personal favour for him; he recognized the implicit contract in those words. It was amusing, this undead daughter of a dead diplomat thought that she could somehow hold him in her debt. He shifted the logs with magic, adjusting them so they would burn slower. She was so out of her depth she couldn't even see it.


	54. Chapter 54: Bad News

The chill wind that tore through the city froze the skin of her already unnaturally cold right hand as it held the small silver key tightly. Lilia sighed and stared at the door in front of her. It was time for another visit with Janus Hassildor, vampire Count of Skingrad, someone she never wanted to see again.

She did not appreciate that he'd chosen her, of all people, to deal with his little problems. Fighting vampires and socializing with vampire hunters were high up on her list of things she least wanted to do, slightly below playing with zombies but slightly above petting mud crabs. The number one item on her list was currently fighting alongside mortals, and she again cursed Janus as she thought of what had happened at Bloodcrust cavern.

Eridor had been more than willing to accompany her with his group when she'd told him that she had a lead on where to find vampires. His enthusiasm should have been a warning sign. The men had rendezvoused with her wearing nothing but thick clothes for protection. Lilia had chastised them, finally resorting to a few strong punches, before they'd relented to her insistence that they armour themselves first. Her blows had helped to prove the point that they'd need somewhat better protection.

The icy winds that swept the rolling plains around Skingrad had done nothing to improve her foul mood as she'd led the inexperienced group to Bloodcrust cavern. Looking into the underground tunnels she'd seen six unwavering figures moving about. The odds had put her slightly at ease. Six vampires against one vampire and four vampire hunters shouldn't be too terrible of a fight.

She took lead, as she didn't know the abilities of the still enthusiastic men that accompanied her. When they'd rushed past her en masse to attack the first vampire, shouting and stomping, she'd briefly considered siding with the vampires instead. None of the mortals died in the first skirmish, luckily for them. Lilia had again resorted to physical methods to try and beat some sense into the ridiculous hunters. They sheepishly allowed her to lead the way. At the very least they hung back out of reach of her fists.

The other vampires had been alerted by the noise and were making their way to investigate. She'd been surprised at the way they behaved. Though they appeared relatively well fed they'd seemed as if they operated purely on instinct rather than intellect. She'd wondered just why they'd chosen to live the way they did. She'd never interacted much with vampires like them before. Vicente and Janus had been like her, humans who were no longer living, dependant on blood to survive, and the vampires in Gutted Mine had been mad with blood lust. But these ones chose to live in the caverns, killing any and all who ventured near. The concept made her very angry.

Two vampires were waiting for them when they'd made their way into a side cavern. Since she was the first person they saw they had both moved to attack her. Lilia had whirled around, dodging away from the reach of their swords, trying to let the vampire hunters pick them off from a distance. When a silver arrow bounced off her cuirass she'd been annoyed. When a misplaced fireball burst at her feet she'd been furious. She'd sent fire magic into the weakened vampires, burning them into small piles of ash, before stalking back to the group as she healed herself.

Lilia had wanted to teach the hunters how to kill vampires effectively. She didn't care for the kind who preyed on the innocent, killing indiscriminately, heedless that they might create other vampires as they did so. If the men could become proper hunters then they could help stamp out the disease. If there were no more vampires to infect people there would be no more vampirism. But being a practice dummy for them was not part of her plan and they again revised strategy.

When they encountered another two vampires as they'd pressed further in she'd hung back and let the spellcasters send magical flames into the undead creatures. She'd kept her bow at the ready in case they took too long, but she'd been pleased that they were able to kill the two with relative ease. Lilia had again thanked the Nine for the magical fire resistance on her armour. It always shocked her just how vulnerable vampires were to flames.

The last vampire had snuck behind them as they worked, hoping to take them by surprise. Lilia had let the men know with silent gestures about the sneaky creature's strategy. Feeling a bit more confident in the hunter's abilities she'd moved to the rear to watch them handle the lone remaining vampire. She still regretted her decision.

The Nord vampire had been unlike the others. He'd gone far longer without feeding and his appearance had been much closer to those of Gutted Mine. His strength and speed had also been on par with theirs and Lilia had been unable to move quickly enough to get between him and Eridor. The Bosmer's left arm had been torn from his body right in front of her eyes. She'd incinerated the vampire in retaliation and had then spent every last resource of her magicka in healing the badly wounded mer. He'd survived, but there had been nothing she could do for his arm. It had been a very somber group that had returned to Skingrad, and Eridor's companions had immediately booked passage to bring the distraught Wood Elf back to his home in Valenwood.

The guilt she felt still weighed heavily on her. Lilia chastised herself - she should never have involved mortals, despite their willingness, in her battle with vampires. As a result of her carelessness the mer would never again be able to fire a bow, to be the warrior he'd dreamed of. The worst part is that he'd thanked her for taking him with her, and for saving his life, as she'd said goodbye to them at the Two Sisters Lodge.

Count Hassildor's unwavering purple figure was now making its way down from the salon. The movement brought the present back into focus and she quickly unlocked the curved wooden door that led directly into his private apartments. She'd found the key on Mercator Hosidus' body when she'd searched both him and the two Necromancers before turning them into ashes. Janus' use of the word 'discreet' in his instructions to Raminus had made her suspect that he knew she had it. The vampire had a reputation for missing very little.

Pushing the door open she stepped in and let her invisibility spell fall. She took off her helmet as she closed the door.

"Back so soon? You're either very efficient or very confused." Janus' voice seemed contemptuous to her ears - it always did. She didn't trust him at all and regretted her hasty decision to ask him questions about being a vampire. His answers had done nothing to ease her worried mind.

"Then I guess I'm efficient. The vampires are dead and the hunters are leaving town. I don't think they'll ever return." Janus had turned to walk to the salon and Lilia was speaking to his richly embroidered back as she followed along.

"How did you accomplish all of that so quickly?" He asked the question as he settled himself back down in the brown leather chair. She sat herself on the couch, careful that her armour not tear the fabric beneath her.

"You can find out from your spies later. I'm not interested in chatting. Let's get the training over with and I'll be on my way after you give me your message for the council." As she spoke she pulled off her gauntlets and patted the seat beside herself.

"Just business then? Very well." He gracefully stood up and made his way over to sit beside her. "Who will learn what first?"

"You teach me your spell first. I've already performed my part of the bargain." The corners of his lips twitched up at her words.

"Yes, of course. I know you're very familiar with the fundamentals of mysticism. You've had such illustrious teachers after all. So the concept is..."

"You don't need to tell me how to do it. If you permit me I will hold onto your free hand and feel how you cast it." She didn't like his reference to illustrious teachers, but she'd ask him about it after he'd taught her the spell. Having an ability to prevent sound from leaving a closed room would surely be useful. She wished she'd had it ages ago.

"Really?" Janus held his left hand out to her and she took it with both of her own. The feel of his cool skin caused an intense ache to rush through her - she'd not felt anything like it since she'd been with Vicente. She struggled to control her memories and emotions. Her mind needed to be relaxed for this to work. "Are you okay?"

Lilia realized that she'd closed her eyes and made an expression of pain as she'd taken his hand and cursed herself for it. The Count missed nothing and she was giving far too much away. "Yes. I'm ready. Cast anytime you want."

Letting her mind relax she felt him create a silence spell that coated the ceiling, walls, and floor, trapping all sound within. It was simpler than she'd expected but wonderful in its ingenuity. She wondered what other tricks the Count had picked up in his long life.

"That felt odd. It was like I had to cast through something." Janus was looking at her strangely. "Did the Psijics teach you how to do that?"

Lilia pulled her hands away from him and stood up. How did he know about that? How much did he know about her? The thought frightened her. She didn't want to be beholden to his whims as he used her secrets against her. If he knew about the Psijics what else did he know?

"Do I need to stand to learn how to make my aura change?" Janus was looking at her oddly. He seemed confused by her sudden movements. She quickly pondered what to do. Teach him what he wanted to know, to placate him and perhaps put him in a position of owing her a favour; refuse and risk the information for the council and the allegiance Raminus sought; or attempt to kill him where he sat, which would certainly improve her mood but not her situation. The thought of the Master Wizard made her decision for her. She had promised to behave.

"Muscle cramp." She lied baldly at him. Sitting back down she again picked up his hand, squeezing it perhaps a bit too tightly in the process. "Now close your eyes and try to relax. I'm going to use your magicka to cast the spell. Pay attention to how it works."

Lilia was impressed. The Imperial was actually a powerful mage. She had heard the rumours of his skill floating around the town and she'd thought that perhaps they'd been made up to explain his unnaturally long lifespan. In this case the rumours had been true for once. After less than ten casts he was able to work the spell on his own. She dropped his hand as soon as she could.

"So tell me what information you have that was worth all of that effort." She said. He snorted at her demands.

"Information that is vital to your guild. Mannimarco is in Cyrodiil." He replied dryly.

"No. That's not possible. The King of Worms, here in the province?" Lilia couldn't believe it. If it was true then the Mages Guild was in far more trouble than they realized. Mannimarco and his Necromancers had defeated Vanus Galerion, the original founder of the guild, and his host of highly trained Battlemages in a battle that was still immortalized in songs and poems. And Hanibal Traven was no Galerion. "Are you sure about this?"

"Yes. I have complete confidence in my source. Perhaps you see that all of that effort, as you put it, was meager in comparison to the knowledge I've provided." He gave her another disdainful look as she jumped off of the sofa and whirled around to face him. But she didn't start yelling. Instead she yanked her gauntlets back onto her hands and started storming off to the door. She couldn't alienate him now. If his information was true then he had far better sources than the guild did. They'd surely need him in future.

"Thank you for the hospitality I must be leaving now." She spoke the words so fast they ran together as she left the apparently bewildered vampire Count behind, seated on the sofa, his purple aura dancing like the firelight that lit the room.

* * *

The glowing blue stars moved slowly around them, the night sky in perpetual motion. The unique thrum of dwarven machinery was the only noise that broke the silence. Raminus was looking up at the ceiling of the orrery. He seemed to be staring at the Atronach as he digested her message.

Lilia had learnt that he was in the council chambers and had corralled an innocent looking little Breton Apprentice who'd had the misfortune to wander into the foyer at just the wrong time. She'd sent the bewildered young woman up with a note and Raminus had returned with the very pale girl. Apparently some of the council members had not appreciated the interruption and had threatened her with a demonstration of some rather nasty destructive magic. Lilia had been glad she hadn't gone up there herself. She probably wouldn't have received the warnings. She'd dragged Raminus into the deserted orrery and had used her new spell to make sure that they couldn't be overheard.

"You have to tell the council." He finally spoke. Raminus was now regarding her with the same unhappy expression as he'd used on the magical replica of the heavens above.

"No. My presence wouldn't help things. But they do need to be told. I'm sure that the Necromancer spy is already fully aware of Mannimarco's pleasure trip. There's no reason to keep this hidden. Go, tell them now. But try to watch everyone's reaction. See if you notice anything."

"Hmm. I still can't believe there is a traitor on the council." He was now frowning at the dwarven replica of Nirn rotating in the middle of the room, the two moons circling around it.

"And I can't believe the King of Worms is here in Cyrodiil. I hope it's all a mistake, I really do, but I don't think it is. Count Hassildor may be many things, but he wouldn't lie about something like this. It would ruin his reputation for knowing everything." She couldn't hide the bitterness in her voice.

He sighed heavily. "Well, I guess I'd better get back to the council." Lilia caught his arm before he could get away.

"Wait. How will you find me to tell me what they decide?" She asked.

"Why would I do that?" He was giving her a confused look. "You're not a member of the council. You don't need to know."

"No, I don't need to know. But I would like to. I know you might not be very fond of me but I do have the best interests of the guild at heart, and I won't stand by and watch it be destroyed by Necromancers. I have a personal problem with the concept, as I'm sure you understand." Lilia tried to keep her frustration under control. She wanted to help. Why couldn't they see that?

"Where will you be? You don't want me to send anymore daedra to your door, remember?"

"It's Mondas, right?" She asked.

"Tirdas." He was eyeing her strangely again as he answered. Every now and again Lilia lost track of time. Not sleeping for several days in a row didn't help. She now slept about once every four days. Thoughts of her unusual nightmares still haunted her constantly.

"Damn! What time is it?"

"Just a bit before ten." Raminus was looking at her as if she was mad. She was getting used to that expression, though she still preferred the one where she was being studied. And she much preferred when people looked at her in amusement most of all, well, as much as one can enjoy dirty looks. Being considered amusing was far preferable to being considered mad.

"I'll be at the Arena until midnight. After that I'll be at my home, waiting. You're welcome to visit me personally. I won't be asleep." There was no way that she was going to rest until she'd learnt what the council had decided. She'd herd Methredhel around with her staff if she had to but she also wouldn't wait alone. Her mind was racing feverishly trying to handle everything that had happened in the last couple of days. Being alone with her thoughts was a very unwelcome idea right now.

"Very well. Until later." Raminus nodded politely before walking away in a determined posture back to the foyer. Lilia hurried after him and watched as he teleported up to the mages above. With a quick prayer she pushed open the door and stepped into the cool night air.


	55. Chapter 55: Truly Shocking

It was a few minutes after ten by the time she stepped out onto the magically warm sands of the Arena floor. Lilia stopped suddenly - there were two large figures instead of one. Synderius was there, as expected, but he'd brought a friend with him. She was not pleased at his choice.

"Tiger Lily! Synderius has told me so much about you." Agronak gro-Malog, the Grey Prince, Arena Grand Champion, and finest fighter in Tamriel was extending a hand to her, an upstart Myrmidon who was still trying to figure out how she could possibly hope to defeat him. She briefly wondered if she'd finally gone completely mad. Or was this another strange dream?

He shook her offered hand with a very gentle touch, not at all what she'd expected. Yep, it had to be a dream.

"Please, call me Lilia. So good to finally meet you." She answered politely. Perhaps if she stayed calm things would remain pleasant. The last thing she wanted was any more nightmares.

"Agronak's agreed to help me train you tonight." Synderius puffed his chest out proudly as he spoke, and Lilia reconsidered her assessment of the situation. This was too bizarre. Perhaps instead of dreaming she'd gone insane. Had the Dunmer just said that he'd enlisted the aid of the very person she wanted to eventually defeat to help her improve her skills?

"Actually I just wanted to see what he was up to on Tirdas evenings. It upsets Ysabel when we stay up too late. She always says that a lack of sleep makes for poor fighters, and I'm getting tired of hearing her yelling at him about it. I figured I might as well see why he kept causing such a fuss." Agronak was holding out the dull iron shortsword to her and she accepted it without hesitation. Insanity wasn't as bad as she'd expected. Everyone seemed awfully nice. The half-Orc continued. "Come, show me what this Gladiator's been teaching you."

She giggled as she eyed him waving about the steel longsword that Synderius always used. This was absolutely nuts. At least she'd have some good stories to tell the other inmates of the asylum. She lunged forward, stabbing her sword at his armoured chest.

Arkay's fire! As she looked at the stars which were suddenly above her she finally realized that no, she wasn't dreaming, and no, she wasn't mad. With astonishing speed the Gray Prince had swept her legs out from under her with a very powerful blow. Lilia sent healing magic to the back of her aching thighs and scrambled onto her feet. Abandoning the useless shortsword she fled over to the walls and jumped up, grabbing hold of one of the spiked wooden poles that ringed the combatant pit. Twisting her body up she landed with her feet on the pole and her hands glowing with shock magic. She eyed the two Arena combatants warily as they chatted quietly to each other, unaware that she could hear them. She had no idea what they had planned, but she wasn't sure it was anything she'd like.

"You're right, she does move like a bloody Khajiit."

"Told you. She trained with one."

"But she doesn't have a tail, does she?"

"No, and neither did he. But apparently he did have a rather large…ow!"

She'd sent a small jet of shock magicka into Synderius. The Dark Elf was now giving her the most wounded look of innocence that she'd ever seen. Agronak was laughing at his misfortune and she resisted the urge to zap him too. From what she'd heard it wouldn't even tickle him anyway.

"Come on down from there. That's no way to train." The half-Orc waved her back and Lilia hesitated before leaping down to the warm sands. The two of them were serious about this. She now realized that she wasn't the crazy one - they were both insane.

"Synderius, can I have a word with you? In private?" She gave the Dunmer a sweet smile as she led him to the stairs to the Bloodworks. Sure that she was out of range of hearing she dropped the smile and started hissing. "Have. You. Gone. Mad?"

"Ow! Ow! Ow! Ow!" Synderius was trying to dodge her hands. She was poking him with every word and sending a small shock spell into him each time. The deep sound of the Grand Champion's booming laughter made her stop. How in the Nine Hells had he been able to hear them?

"Lilia, get back out here. He's not crazy. At least, not much more than any other Dark Elf who has taken a few blows to the head." Agronak was waving a large grey hand at her as he called out. With a final jolt to Synderius Lilia made her way over to the Grand Champion standing in the middle of the Arena.

"I appreciate your time, but I'm afraid there's been a mistake. I'm here to work with Synderius." Her voice was cool and polite.

"Are you crazy? You're turning down training with the Gray Prince?" The Dunmer was hiding behind a thick stone pillar as he asked. She couldn't shoot him through the solid rock, unfortunately.

Agronak weighed her words before speaking. "Of course. I won't keep you from your lesson. Do you mind if I watch?"

Lilia couldn't see any reason to object. He'd observed most of her matches already. The half-Orc rarely left the Arena and was always studying the other fighters. She doubted he'd see anything new. If anything, he'd probably have a lower opinion of her skills than he already had. She nodded her assent and watched the tall warrior walk over to stand beside the wall.

"You're not going to shock me anymore, are you?" Synderius asked from behind his protective pillar.

"No. Get out here and let's get started."

As they practiced Lilia tried hard to ignore the watching eyes of the Grey Prince. He was a distraction, just like any other person would be. But no matter how much she told herself to forget about his presence she found her mind wondering about just why he was here. Unable to fully concentrate Lilia was suffering greatly at the hands of Synderius. While she wasn't dodging out of the way of his sword she also wasn't blocking and parrying his attacks very well either. After one particularly ill-timed strike on her part she once more found her back pressed against the gritty floor of the Arena. She closed her eyes and cursed in her mind. Sand felt awful when it got trapped under her raiment.

"Synderius, what are you doing to her?" The voice of the half-Orc floated across the sand. Lilia kept her eyes closed and listened. Agronak apparently thought that she'd been knocked out. At least she hoped he did, because she certainly didn't appreciate being discussed by others when she was right there with them. "She's getting worse, not better."

"It's what she wants to learn!" The Dark Elf was walking over to join Agronak. "What would you have me do?"

"Why isn't she using her staff? And why isn't she dodging away? Those are her two main strengths." The Gray Prince's rumbling voice was clearly curious.

"I don't know why she won't use her staff. But she said she wanted to work on using a shortsword to defend herself, so that's what we've been doing. Normally she's better than this."

"Hmph. She is an odd one, isn't she? Do you remember what she did to Porkchop? The boar glowed for two days."

"Of course I remember. Owyn complained the whole time that the light kept him from sleeping. He was just grumpy that he couldn't get his beauty rest."

"The man lives to complain. Maybe we should check on her. She's been out for a while now."

Not wanting to make it too obvious that she was, in fact, fully conscious Lilia waited until she could hear the footsteps of the two warriors close to her. She opened her eyes and gave them a weak smile. Waving away their offered hands she stood up and sent a wave of restoration magic down her body. While it took away the pain it did nothing for the dull ache that was present in her muscles. Training was tiring business.

"Can I ask you something?" Agronak was studying her. Lilia wasn't sure what the other half of him was, but he had the amber irised dark eyes common to the race of Orcs.

"Sure."

"Why are you bothering with a sword? Its obvious that a staff is a more natural weapon for you." Lilia wasn't sure whether to feel pleased or insulted. She wasn't the best sword fighter in Tamriel, that was true, but she wasn't that bad. At least, she wasn't that bad when the Grey Prince wasn't watching. But he'd implied that she was more skilled with a staff, and she felt a bit flattered that he'd noticed.

"Because a staff doesn't work well when you're fending off goblins in a narrow mine shaft. A staff won't cut through the ghosts that haunt Ayleid ruins or the wolves that roam the mountains. And trying to defeat a zombie with a staff is an exercise in futility."

"Have you really done that? Been to those places and fought those creatures?" He sounded almost wistful as he asked.

"Yes. And with a shortsword, not a staff."

"That makes sense." He nodded at her answer. "But why aren't you evading? Why are you letting this crazy Dark Elf knock you around?"

"Because there isn't always room to get out of the way. If I'm backed into a corner or in a small hallway there's not much space to dodge. If I want to survive I need to defend myself, and it's not a natural impulse for me to block attacks. I always want to avoid them." She gave him a small smile as she spoke.

"Survive? So you're still adventuring?" Agronak was very curious.

Lilia laughed. "I wouldn't call it adventuring. I'm certainly not off questing for treasure or seeking glory. But I do travel very frequently and sometimes find myself in dangerous places." She found herself in dangerous places far too often for her tastes.

"And you're trying to get him to help keep you alive?" The Grey Prince pointed towards Synderius as he asked jokingly.

"Hey!" The Dunmer faked a wounded tone.

"He's good. He's the best warrior I've met in Cyrodiil who has offered to instruct me. And while he may be a bit rough sometimes I do trust that he won't suddenly try to kill me. So yes, he's helping me stay alive." She gave the Dark Elf a smile as she spoke. The mer had been very generous in his offer to work with her in exchange for some acrobatics training.

"Hmm." Agronak was giving her a calculating look. She wasn't sure what it meant. "Are you sure you don't want to practice with me? Just for fun?"

She considered the offer. Lilia might do better fighting with the Grand Champion - at least she would be able to focus on him instead of trying to ignore him. And she had to admit she was very curious about how well she would do against him.

"Thank you. I'd like that."

Agronak received the longsword from Synderius, who moved quickly away from the combatants, and readied himself. Lilia eyed him carefully, waiting for him to attack first. She was still better at being on the defensive rather than the offensive. He lunged forward suddenly, stabbing towards her heart. She was able to react quickly enough to knock her sword against his, and instead of striking her in the chest the dull point poked her hard in the thigh. She sent a quick healing spell to soothe the pain and began circling him. His next move was a sudden slash towards her right shoulder. Lilia managed to bring up her sword to block but the strength of his blow caused her own blade to press back against her neck. That would have been a fatal mistake if they'd been using sharp weapons.

With a speed that surprised her he spun around and aimed a powerful blow at her left side. Unable to resist her impulse she dived in a roll away from the attack. Standing back up to face him, braced for another assault, she was surprised to find him just standing there, staring openly at her.

"You move about as fast as I do. I've never really seen that before." Lilia didn't doubt that he hadn't. Few vampires fought in the Arena.

"Thanks."

"Did a Khajiiti acrobat really teach you how to dodge like that?" He seemed so very curious about her. His interest in her skills was a surprise, because she was obviously no threat to him.

"No. He taught me how to roll, jump, and flip. Staying out of the reach of weapons is something I learnt how to do when I was very small. But training with him helped. All training helps." Lilia meant it. She'd never have survived this far without having spent all of those years studying when and where the Gods had wished.

"Very small? What do you mean?"

"My father was a diplomat and we traveled all the time. I've always been fascinated by warriors and I used to watch them practice. Occasionally one of them, perhaps out of friendliness or boredom, would teach me a trick or two. It only takes one hit with a warhammer that's as heavy as you are before you learn that you want it not to connect in the first place, regardless of how gently its wielded." She still remembered the incident. She'd been in Dune, in Valenwood. A very nice young Nord soldier had tried to teach her how to use a shield, and his gentle blow had caused the shield to bruise the right side of her body. Much to her embarrassment she'd burst into tears, kicked him in the shin, and run from the courtyard. She'd only been a child at the time, but Lilia could still remember the poor man's distraught face. He'd thought he'd broken something. "After that you do your best to get out of the way. It's become a habit now."

"Sorry to interrupt, but are we going to train or chat? It's getting late and I'd like to work on my own rolls, jumps, and flips." Synderius called out to them from the wall.

"You should probably work with him. He's liable to kill himself practicing if you don't. You should have seen the bruise he had from a failed back spring." Agronak said softly to her. Lilia chuckled at his words.

"You're right. And thanks for the practice."

"It wasn't much, but I enjoyed it just the same. Would you mind if I join you and Synderius again some evening?" He was again giving her that curious stare. Her own curiosity as to what it meant was just as intense.

"Not at all. Anytime you want." Even that short session had made her realize that he could teach her a lot if he wished. She'd never bothered to watch any of the Arena matches when she was in town and had never seen the Grand Champion fight before. His skill was remarkable.

"Thanks. And next time, if you can, bring your staff." Agronak gave her a friendly wink before he headed over to the wall, passing the Dark Elf who was now making his way into the centre of the Arena. Synderius stood next to Lilia and waited until the half-Orc was leaning against the wall. The Dunmer leant in to speak.

"Nice, isn't he? I saw that wink he gave you. You know, they say he has a rather large…ow!" Much to Lilia's displeasure the booming laugh of the Gray Prince rang out from the side of the Arena. He'd heard Synderius' comments. Unable to resist she sent out a small stream of shock magicka at him too. He did want to practice with them, after all, so he might as well get used to her methods. She was even less pleased when she heard his response to her magical attack.

"Hey! That tickles!"


	56. Chapter 56: Disruptions

Everything about his left hand was the same, as it had been for over fifty-three years. For fifty-three years the skin had remained unchanged; the same small scar on the thumb, the same three freckles near the wrist, and the same thin band of gold on the ring finger. Outwardly everything was as it always was, but for the first time in over fifty-three years something small, something very subtle, had changed. The violet fire that glowed from within, the pale purple aura that could never be turned off, now ebbed and flowed once more. And for the first time in fifty-three years he felt both a new lightness in his heart as well as a crushing weight of guilt.

Waving his left hand Janus magically added another log to the fire that burned brightly under the carved wooden mantle. He was also unsettled in a way that he hadn't felt since he'd first become a vampire. Mastering the impulse to jump up and start pacing the room he instead focused his keen vision on the new log in the grate, watching as the flames from the ones below caressed the edges, inviting the wood to join in the orgy of destruction, to surrender to the fire's wanton greed. His lips curled up in a small smile, his hidden fangs no longer pressing against them, before settling back into a grim line. With a burst of impatience he sent a stream of fire into the stubborn wood, setting it ablaze despite its reticence.

He sighed and looked around the room, the small salon where few were invited to enter and even fewer dared to accept the invitation. So many hours had been spent in this room waiting, watching, thinking, and plotting. He knew every detail by heart, had memorized the veins of the low marble tabletop, the subtle pattern of the silk that lined the walls, and the small cracks in the leather that covered the arms of the chair he currently occupied. Normally it soothed him, this decadent, peaceful, and tranquil cocoon that he had created. But tonight everything seemed too old and familiar and he felt an irrational desire to burn it all, leaving behind nothing but ash and a clean slate.

Again he wondered why now, after fifty-three years of sameness, she'd had to come into his life and upset his ordered regime. The thought of the other vampire, the strange undead daughter of a dead diplomat, made him frown. Since Lilia's arrival many thoughts, thoughts that he'd long since buried, had resurfaced to plague him once more. He'd been so sure and confident of his course and he hated that she'd caused him to question it. Guilt gnawed at him, sharp little teeth that ate away at him from the inside.

Janus sighed again and tried to order his mind. If what he knew was true then soon his guilt might be soothed, laid to rest once and for all. But as always the thought saddened him. He would finally be admitting defeat and failure. He'd finally be burying his old dreams.

The sudden flare of the fire in response to the draft that ran through the room pulled him out of his reverie. Someone had entered his private apartments through the door that connected to the courtyard, and whoever they were they had not been invited. Turning his head to look at the door that lay on the opposite wall of the dark stone fireplace he sniffed the air. Lilia was back, and unlike her previous visits, he didn't know why she'd come.

This time she wasn't armoured when she stepped into the room. A heavy grey robe, thick silk from the appearance of it, was worn under a deceptively plain brown cloak. He recognized the fabric at once. He had two such cloaks of his own. Shutting the door behind her he felt the familiar subtle change in the air around him as she cast his spell without moving her hands.

"Did you visit Bravil, or did he come to you?" She was seated now across from him as she asked her question, and to his surprise she removed her shoes and tucked her legs up on the sofa beside her, lounging against the feather stuffed pillows. Lilia looked very comfortable as she draped herself decadently on his furniture. He wasn't, however, surprised by her question. From the way she'd reacted when he'd mentioned her connections with the Psijics he knew that she hadn't spread that story around. He'd expected her to ask him about it at their last meeting. He was starting to get the impression that her actions couldn't be so easily predicted.

"Master Aren came to visit me. He occasionally comes for tea. He's really quite fond of the brew." She seemed so calm right now, almost relaxed in her attitude. By the way she had leapt off the sofa and had been so rough in holding his hand during their last visit he really didn't expect her to act like this around him.

"Mmm, that's what I thought. I didn't think you did much traveling. Speaking of tea, do you have any? It's rather cold outside." She flashed him a bright smile.

"Yes, of course. How rude of me not to offer." Janus stood up and made his way over to the glass-fronted buffet that sat against the far wall. As he prepared the tea, placing the cups and saucers on the wooden tray, he wondered just what she was doing. Either she was extremely foolish or she was too clever for her own good. Dropping in the small mesh ball that held the special blend of dried leaves he placed the teapot on the tray and brought everything over to the marble table.

"Thank you." Lilia watched as he settled himself back down into his chair. She smiled at him again. "So tell me, what do you want from me? What is it about me that so fascinates you?"

Those were very bold questions for someone who'd been so hesitant just to ask if he had nightmares. Count Hassildor recognized that for her own reasons she had no desire to play games. Her approach was blunt and honest, and a little refreshing. The world of politics was such a convoluted one it made for a nice change. He poured out a cup of tea for both of them and watched as she levitated hers up to her waiting hands, not bothering to shift from her position. His lips twitched in a small smile - it must all be an act. Her calm was unnatural for the situation. But for what purpose was she pretending? He decided to be blunt as well.

"I'd rather know just what you want from me first." The cup hesitated slightly in its path to her mouth and he knew that he'd been right. She wanted something. Janus was curious as to what it was.

Lilia sighed as she placed the cup back onto the saucer that she held in her marked left hand. "I need your help. I need information and you're the only one who can get it for me."

"What kind of information?" He asked as he took a sip of his tea. Her answer almost caused him to spit it back out.

"I need to know where Mannimarco is hiding. Preferably the exact location, but even a general region would help."

"The council sent you to ask me this?" For something of this magnitude he'd expect no one lower than a Master Wizard to approach him. For something this big he'd expect Arch Mage Traven himself.

"No. They don't know I'm here. The council is…following a different path. I do not agree with their strategy, so I've come here on my own." She floated the cup and saucer back down to the marble table in front of her as she spoke. "I can't sit back and watch the King of Worms destroy them."

"What would you do with this information?" Janus was very curious now. Why would she want to know something the council didn't seem to be interested in?

"It depends on what you can tell me. I understand that this request goes beyond a personal favour, which is why I'm asking you what it is that you want from me. You've done more than just make standard inquiries into my past. There must be something that's caused me to interest you beside our shared condition." Her eyes had narrowed a bit and she was unable to keep a slight wariness from creeping into her voice. She still didn't trust him.

"Our shared condition, as you put it, is what aroused my curiosity in the first place. I have some questions about you that I suspect only you can answer." As he spoke he noticed that she was keeping her body unnaturally still. Her stiffness betrayed her nervousness.

"I'll answer what I can, but I make no promises that I will answer everything." Lilia's voice was quiet.

"Fair enough. Tell me, how well did you know your grandmother, Brisienne Lefevre?" She barely seemed to be breathing now.

"Why do you want to know about my grandmother?"

"I'm curious. Was she really a witch?"

"Yes. In fact, she was a high priestess."

"How did she end up as one? Wasn't she the daughter of Lord Lefevre?" Lilia's eyebrows knit together in suspicion. She obviously hadn't anticipated his detailed knowledge of her family tree.

"Yes. But he disowned her after she became pregnant with my mother. She was unmarried and fifteen at the time and he banished her from the small estate they owned in the Ykalon province. They were paper nobles - rich in titles, poor in septims. My grandfather, Ilmiril, was an Altmer magician who'd been engaged to tutor her. The two of them moved to a small village in the middle of the Phyrgias province to escape the scandal. They never married. On the very day my grandmother turned eighteen my grandfather told her that since she was now an adult he no longer needed to stay with her. He walked out of their small home, never to return. Occasionally he would send money and letters but those stopped when he died in a shipwreck off the coast of Hammerfell.

My grandmother was a very strong willed woman. Unskilled in the manual labour of the farms she decided that she'd seek a way to make a living elsewhere. She set out with my mother, intending to go to Vermeir, but during their travels my mother fell ill with yellow fever. Luckily my grandmother met a young witch on the road and convinced her to let them accompany her back to the coven for healing. My grandmother never did make it to Vermeir. She found a home with the coven instead. But I fail to see how this could possibly interest you."

"Really? I'm surprised. Tell me, wasn't your mother raised in the coven? Wasn't she a noted alchemist?" How could she fail to see what he was driving at? Perhaps she wasn't that clever after all.

"Yes. That's where she was first introduced to potion making - she had a natural gift. Her strongest talents lay in research though. I certainly never inherited her patience or fascination with the subject, though I am knowledgeable about it." A look of confusion was plain on her face.

"Do you really not understand my interest? Your grandmother was a witch in High Rock, a high priestess no less, your mother was a gifted alchemist who was raised in the coven, and I'm sure she taught you what she knew. So then why is it that you've not made yourself a potion to cure your vampirism yet?"

Lilia seemed frozen in shock. Her only movements were the far too rapid blinking of her eyelids. Janus settled back into his armchair to wait for the answer. It didn't come until a few minutes later, after she managed to get her blinking back under control.

"My grandmother was the high priestess of the Skeffington coven. I don't know where you got your information but only the Glenmorial and Tamarylin covens know how to make such a potion. Do you honestly think I wouldn't have made one to cure myself the instant I was free to do so?" Her tone wasn't kind, and by the time she finished speaking she was almost hissing at him. Janus hadn't known that not all witches in High Rock knew how to make the cure for vampirism. He had known about the witches of Glenmoril though. He knew quite a bit about them.

"Not all vampires wish for a cure." He said softly. She laughed sharply at his answer.

"Really? Who would ever be foolish enough to choose to be damned to an eternity of this?" Lilia's lips were curled in a sneer as she gestured down at herself.

"Me. Though I hardly consider my choice to have been a foolish one." At his reply she started staring curiously at him. With a sigh he continued. "Not everyone is afraid of immortality and the opportunities it presents. Not if you know how to survive it."

It hadn't been an easy decision to make. Despite his immediate inquiries to the Mages Guild he hadn't learnt about a cure until he had already overcome any complications in terms of ruling as the undead Count of Skingrad. By the time the mages had finally bothered to tell him that the witches of High Rock could make a cure he'd come to accept his fate, even viewing it as an asset. And by that point he'd been ruling alone for almost twenty years. If they'd told him in the beginning things would have turned out very differently, but unfortunately there was no magic that could turn back time. It wasn't the only reason that he had no love for the guild, but it was a strong factor.

"Hmph." She snorted softly in disdain. "Was that all you wanted from me? To find out that I can't make the cure?"

"No. I had hoped you could. I find it is always better to involve as few people as possible. But you can still be of use to me." She was sitting up properly now, her feet slipping into her leather shoes. Lilia wasn't bothering to fake a relaxed attitude anymore. Janus continued. "There is a witch living here in Cyrodiil. Her name is Melisande and she used to belong to the Glenmorial coven."

"That's fascinating. What, do you want me to invite her to tea?" Her tone was infuriatingly sarcastic.

"No. I want you to convince her to make a cure." Janus watched as she digested his request. She was staring at his eyes.

"Aren't you a bit old for that?" He realized she'd been looking at his wrinkles. She must have heard how long he'd been ruling. Lilia could obviously do math.

"It's not for me." Unaware of it his right hand started rotating the thin gold circlet on his left hand. "If you do this I will try to find out what you seek."

She was shaking her head. "No. From what I know it takes at least a month to make such a potion. I can't wait that long."

Janus sighed. She had a point. Much as there was no love lost between him and the guild it wouldn't do to let Mannimarco destroy them. He'd certainly be in a vulnerable position. Despite his wishes to the contrary he did need the Mages Guild. They protected his vampirism from becoming common knowledge and he provided them with information in return. It was a tenuous alliance but a necessary one for both sides.

"Then you should probably visit Melisande as soon as possible. She lives in a small farm known as Drakelowe where the Reed and Cerbele rivers meet. I will make my inquiries and contact you when I have further information. It certainly won't be tomorrow."

Lilia stood and gave him that familiar wary look. "Very well. Though I don't wish to I'll have to trust you to keep your word. I will visit Melisande immediately and await your summons. Thanks for the tea." Without waiting for his leave she stalked out of the room, disrupting her silence spell as soon as she opened the door to the hallway. Janus watched her flickering figure until she was out of range of his vision and then stared down to look at her barely touched cup of tea. For a diplomat's daughter she really did have terrible manners.

Looking back to the fire he noticed that the new log was gone, consumed by the flames. A layer of ash coated the glowing embers below, the only evidence of what had been. He closed his eyes and sat back in the leather chair. There was much thinking to be done before the night was over.


	57. Chapter 57: Torment

The mud crab squealed in pain, a high whistling sound, as the weight of its heavy shell tore its body from the pincer that held it aloft. But instead of falling down to the water below it was hoisted back up by one thin leg. The squealing continued along with the pain.

Lilia was watching it with a blank expression on her face, her mind many miles away from the creature she was magically dangling in front of her. If she'd been paying attention she would have noticed the delighted hissing that sang along with the squeals. But she wasn't paying attention to anything except the whirlwind of images that kept rising up from her memories.

She'd just left Drakelowe after visiting Melisande for a second time. The witch had known instantly that she was a vampire when she'd first met her. Lilia hadn't been too surprised by that. She remembered the times she'd spent with her own grandmother. Her mother had taken her to visit at least once a year when she was growing up. The witches of High Rock were attuned to a magic that she never fully understood. They worshipped Kynareth and Meridia and had an innate understanding of the world of Nirn that allowed them to do and see things that others couldn't. Brisienne had been fascinating and her powers had been a little frightening to the young girl. But Lilia hadn't been frightened of her grandmother herself, as formidable as Brisienne was she was very caring. Though Lilia was sure to always be on her best behaviour when visiting the coven. She remembered the strange magics that protected the witches from the elements as they danced naked under the light of the moons, their bodies better able to commune with the nature and spirits that surrounded them. Lilia had danced at a few gatherings herself, but she'd never felt the same delight as she could see the other women experiencing. Whatever special magic her grandmother and mother held in their blood had not passed down to her.

She'd felt that same strange magic coming off of Melisande as the witch had requested five grand soul gems in exchange for even discussing the cure. Lilia hadn't been surprised by that either. When she'd stayed with the Skeffington coven she'd occasionally seen people approach with offerings in exchange for healing, potions, or a chance to commune with the daedra. One did not approach a witch empty handed unless one was prepared to seek for whatever the witch desired. Since Melisande wanted grand soul gems Lilia had made her way over to Chorrol.

The Mages guild had been quiet when she'd arrived. Teekeus had given her an unhappy glare before retreating upstairs to the sanctuary of the library on the second floor. From the sounds and smells that she could detect coming from the basement the two Bosmer conjurers were busily continuing their experiments. The sound of broken crockery and the occasional harsh cry of a scamp before it unleashed a fireball, causing a sudden unpleasant odour of brimstone to filter up to the main floor, had been all the clues she'd needed. The other guild members seemed to be out for the day. Happy to be alone she'd made her way over to the display case in the alchemy room. Sure that no one could see her she'd unlocked it with magic and quickly removed the grand soul gems from within. She was a member of the guild and had convinced herself that this didn't really count as stealing, not that she really cared either way. Nevertheless she had sealed the room shut with her new silence spell before sending a fireball into the empty case. With any luck Teekeus would blame the conjured scamps and not her for the disappearance of the gems. Lilia already had enough people that she didn't trust and who didn't care for her, and she wasn't sure just what sort of a fuss the sly Argonian would create if he knew she'd taken them. He didn't seem to have forgiven her for refusing to steal back the book from Earana, and judging by the dirty looks he always gave her he was very unhappy about the new addition she'd brought up to the guild hall from Skingrad.

Needing an excuse for her presence in the hall she'd made her way down to the basement. A laughing scamp had been dancing gleefully on top of the remnants of a large china platter, now crushed into small pieces under its leathery feet. Erthor had been gently scolding the scamp as if it was a small child while Athragar had been attempting to bribe it with raw meat to clean up the mess. She'd been unable to keep from laughing at the sight, and the two Wood Elves had dismissed the scamp before greeting her. They knew she didn't enjoy being around summoned daedra and she'd quickly offered to clean up as a way of thanking them for their politeness.

Catching the mud crab as it started plummeting back down to the river she let the claw fall and focused her spell on its other pincher. One side of the creature was now denuded of limbs. As Lilia idly waved the creature back and forth, trying to speed up the separation of flesh, she frowned as she remembered what the conjurers had told her. Viranus Donton, son of the Fighters Guild master, had been killed on a recent assignment and the guild members had been at his funeral. She had asked why the hall next door had seemed empty when she'd passed it by. Vilena had now lost both of her sons. Her eldest, Vitellus, had also died on a contract just a few months before. Lilia had not known Viranus well but he'd seemed like a very nice young man and she wondered if there was anything she could have done to prevent his untimely death. There must have been a reason that the Gods had wanted her to join the guilds and she often pondered what it was. While she was starting to get an idea of what they wished her to do for the Mages Guild the purpose behind her being a member of the Fighters Guild was still a mystery to her.

The thought of the Mages Guild and her interactions with Janus Hassildor caused her to give the pincher a violent shake. The body of the mud crab started flying through the air towards the bank. Catching one of its legs she magically yanked it roughly back to the same spot several feet in front of her. This time her spell tugged the limb up and down, trying to rip it right out from the shell. But she wasn't seeing what she was doing - the image of the grey haired vampire was the only thing in her mind. She didn't understand him and didn't wish to. His intimate knowledge of her life horrified her. While she was sure he could never find out about her experiences with the Dark Brotherhood she still didn't like how easily he had learnt about her past. She hadn't been back to visit Fathis yet. Though she hadn't sworn him to secrecy she still felt betrayed that he'd told her story to Janus Hassildor, of all people. Surely the mer knew exactly what type of man the Count was.

The decision of the council had only cemented her opinion that they were nothing but a bunch of fools. Except for Raminus. Apparently he'd almost become violent during the angry debate over what to do about the information Janus Hassildor had provided. And he'd been the one to chide her about remaining civil. Much to Lilia's disgust they'd voted 3-2 to wait for further developments. She'd been unable to believe it. Mannimarco was in the province already. If she was Arch Mage she would have ordered squads of Battlemages to look in every cave and ruin to try and find his base before amassing them to destroy him once and for all, dissenting votes of the council be damned. Traven was weak in her eyes and exactly the sort of man who should never have been given the task of running the guild. Someone like Janus would never have allowed this to happen. If the Count had any strong bond with the guild the situation never would have deteriorated so badly, she was sure of that.

As for the Count himself she had no idea why he wanted a cure. To her complete confusion he actually seemed to be glad that he was a vampire. He'd said almost as much to her at their last meeting. The concept was both foreign and revolting to her. It had been so hard to contain her anger when he'd asked why she'd not cured herself. It had taken her minutes before she'd felt comfortable that she wouldn't incinerate the insolent vampire where he sat. Not a day went by that she didn't curse the Gods for her inability to return to her mortal state. Learning about Melisande's presence in Cyrodiil had annoyed her to no end. Why hadn't the Divines sent her to the isolated witch? She also had experienced a painful mix of hope and apprehension at the information. Lilia was fairly certain that regardless of how she obtained it that the Nine would still prevent her from being cured, but her mind was not able to put out the glow of hope that lived on in her heart.

A loud splash and the feel of droplets of cold water against her skin snapped her out of her reverie. Looking at the limbs of the mud crab floating in the water before her she realized with horror just what she'd mindlessly done to the creature. With a sob she buried her face in her hands and wept bitterly. She hadn't wanted to accept what her dreams had meant, what the snake inside her portended, but after Janus had answered her questions she'd been unable to come up with any other explanation. She was losing her mind. Lilia found herself behaving irrationally, more so than was normal for her. She was violent in situations where she'd normally have been calm, like when she'd dealt with the vampire hunters in Skingrad. She never would have hit them and yelled at them before. And she was losing her ability to remain civil when dealing with people or situations that upset her. She couldn't believe that she, the woman who had fooled Lucien Lachance enough to have him invite her to join his unique family, who'd been able to hide her true purpose from both the Night Mother and Vicente Valtiere - the vampire who had an uncanny ability to decipher her thoughts, couldn't keep her temper when talking to a group of foolish council members.

She let the bitter tears flow as she lost herself in her feelings of despair. Lilia could see nothing good about her life anymore. Even if she could live forever the thought of what she would do during that time scared her senseless. She was evil and twisted and she frightened herself with her dark desires. She was especially frightened by the frequency with which they were becoming actions. She mourned for what she had been, for the idealistic and hopelessly naïve woman that had offered herself up to the Gods, trusting to their tender mercies. Even as she'd followed their whims throughout Tamriel to both pleasant and painful experiences she'd still had faith that the words the priests preached were true - that the Nine loved and protected all who walked the face of Nirn. Whatever the Gods felt for her she was sure it wasn't love. But still she couldn't bring herself to end it. That tiny spark of hope remained within her, a small pinprick of light that pierced the blackness that dwelled inside of her, and she was unable to banish the dream that somehow things would get better. Her mind, practical and observant, held no such illusions.

Crawling down to the shore she plunged her face into the icy water and washed the tainted tears away. The cold prickled her skin, little icy knives stabbing into her flesh, and she tried to focus on the sensation, desperately trying to keep herself under control and in the present. She needed to keep her wits about her. If she was to get the ingredients necessary for the cure she had to hold herself together.

Standing up from the muddy bank she let a wave of fire dry her skin and clothes. Turning to the south she retraced her journey towards Leafrot Cave. According to Melisande Redwater Slough sat just a bit beyond it.

* * *

Needles clawed at her face as she pushed away the branches of the pine trees that blocked her view. A small hole in the rock in front of her, barely large enough to crawl through, must be the entrance to the vampire's lair. The list of ingredients she had to obtain for Melisande to make the potion to cure vampirism was fairly mundane, except for two. The first was the blood of an Argonian, which while not rare was also not something Lilia could easily see obtaining without a bit of forethought. The second was ash from a powerful vampire ancient. Much to her relief Melisande knew of just such a vampire and had marked his lair on Lilia's map. When Melisande had initially told her what she required Lilia had to fight off the panic her words had caused. She knew exactly where to get such ashes but she could never bring herself to do it no matter how badly she wanted the cure. Regardless of her current mental state she would surely go completely mad if she ever had to return there, to the room that often haunted her thoughts.

Looking carefully she could see no figures moving about so she cast her own detect life spell. The range of her vampire vision wasn't as good as her spell, and didn't offer all of its benefits, so she found herself using her magic when in potentially dangerous situations. She was much more vigilant since her laziness had allowed a Necromancer to surprise her at Nenyond Twyll. An unmoving figure, stretched out in a posture of sleep, lay deep within the ground. Briefly considering stripping off her armour and attempting a stealth approach she quickly dismissed the idea. From what she knew by personal experience powerful vampires slept very lightly, regardless of how well-fed they were, and she'd be detected long before she could get to him. Pulling out her shortsword she wriggled into the dark cave beyond. Rising to stand she realized that there was no illumination at all within. A faint magical glow came from her body as she created a small light spell. While Hindaril may wander about in the dark she didn't trust that there weren't traps awaiting her in his cave.

As she made her way down the tight tunnels she was grateful for the short piece of enchanted daedric metal that she held in her hand. She hadn't been joking when she'd told Agronak why she didn't use a staff outside of the Arena. Lilia couldn't imagine trying to fight with a claymore or even a battleaxe in this cramped space. Seeing the long figure stand up a little further in to the cave Lilia briefly considered what to do. While waiting for him to come to her would give her a defensive advantage there was barely enough room to maneuver in the small passage. Wherever he was there was at least enough space for some kind of a bed. Wanting to be able to dodge about Lilia ran forward along the passage, no longer worrying about the noise of her armour.

Bursting out into the room she barely had time to throw up a protective magical shield of spell absorption against the massive fireball that was flying towards her. Hindaril was an Altmer, or had been while he'd been alive, and she was now trying not to panic as his flames danced around her. Seeing that he was readying another blast she quickly cast a different sort of protective magic, using the magicka she had absorbed from his last spell.

Hindaril screamed in anger when the flames that struck her were magically transferred back to him. While Lilia favoured spell absorption as a way of dealing with magical attacks, since it recharged her magicka quickly, she did recognize that sometimes spell reflection was a more appropriate choice. If he'd cast the spell at himself he would have suffered no ill effects, but having it reflected back by her magic altered the energy in such a way that it was no longer his own and as a result his fine velvet clothes were now covered in flame

Lilia cast her own fireball at the powerful vampire. While he hadn't fed for quite a while he still seemed to be far more immune to fire than she expected. Perhaps he had some form of protective enchantment like herself. She focused on the flames and fed them her magical energy as he tried to dispel them. While he was a very talented mage the pain she was causing him distracted him as he attempted to put the fire out. Lilia continued to feed the flames, even forming some of them into small dancing figures that ran up his body and embraced his face and hair. It took much longer than she'd anticipated but the sudden burst of ashes that fell down to the floor told her that it was over. She cast a healing spell to soothe away the pain his powerful fireball had caused.

With shaking hands Lilia removed her gloves and scooped the ashes into the small leather pouch that Melisande had provided. Seeing the small red diamond that she still wore on her right hand she had to turn her face away so the tears wouldn't contaminate the ashes. She had no illusions about them anymore. The Gods were tormenting her, there was no doubt about it. The worst part is that she felt she deserved no less. Her grim task complete, she wiped away the red stains on her cheeks and cast her recall spell as she remained kneeling on the floor.

A voice from the past greeted her when she returned to the small shack she called home. "Prepare to die, Altmer bitch!"


	58. Chapter 58: An Inauspicious End

Audens Avidius was having a good day. After Iounus had managed to finally break him out of the Imperial prison in the time before dawn, just before the day shift started, he'd made his way to the home of the old Redguard, Ruslan. That bastard had testified against him and Audens had a score to settle. Between Ruslan, Luronk, and Thoronir Audens had many scores to settle. The three of them had ruined him. Not even Giovanni had been able to overlook Auden's actions. The corrupt commander was probably mad that Audens hadn't shared his protection money with him.

As Avidius had anticipated Ruslan had been weak. No self respecting Redguard warrior would wander the Imperial city dressed in such foppish clothes and the older man had been easily subdued with a few powerful blows. Ruslan had surprised him when he'd begun pleading for his life, blaming her for all of this. Audens had listened to the sniveling coward's story with a malicious grin. There could be no doubt about it - that same stuck up Altmer bitch he'd stolen from last Rain's Hand had orchestrated the whole thing. Ruslan had been unable to provide accurate directions to her home, but Audens knew enough about the waterfront to know which properties were lived in and which abandoned. There was only one small shack on the edge of the waterfront that had been unoccupied last year.

After slaying the Redguard with the steel dagger Iounus had provided him Audens carefully made his way down to the waterfront. He'd underestimated her and wanted to make sure that she couldn't send him back to prison. Thoronir and Luronk could wait. An Imperial Legion uniform disguised Audens. The heavy helmet hid his face. Moving in an official manner he was pleased that none of the other guards gave him so much as a second glance. That had always been the way to do it - if you acted like you belonged somewhere you weren't supposed to be people never questioned you. Arriving at the waterfront he found that the squalid shacks all looked the same in the dim grey light of the early morning sun. The residents were tucked away in their hovels after their illicit activities of the night before. Continuing to move as if he was supposed to be there he walked over to the weathered door under the leaning porch roof and quickly pulled out a lockpick. Iounus had provided that as well.

Working quickly Audens was surprised by the flimsy lock. What a fool, did she not realize that she lived surrounded by thieves? Glancing around calmly he determined that he was unobserved and stepped into the small room. Shutting the door behind him, making sure to hear it click as it locked once more, he quickly glanced around with a frown. The place was a dump.

A small square wooden table was pressed against the wall to his left, three simple yet sturdy chairs tucked in around it. A stone fireplace was set in the middle of the wall in front of him, opposite the door, and he could tell by the ashes and cold air that it hadn't been lit for several hours at least. A single unmade bed was tucked under the solitary window to his right, which was covered with a thick curtain. Beside the door stood a simple cabinet and a set of shelves filled with an assortment of crockery, foodstuffs, and books. A couple of wall hangings provided the only decoration. Whatever she'd been up to it certainly hadn't been as profitable as her previous experiences.

A garish swirl of colour in the corner, tucked beside some shelves, caused him to raise his eyebrows in surprise. What on earth was she doing with a jester's staff? He shook his head and moved to stand beside the door. When Lilia returned he'd be ready for her. Thanks to Ruslan he now had a name to put with the face. Lilia. He snorted at the name. She even had a strange name for a High Elf. He was looking forward to her return. This time Iounus wouldn't be around to interfere.

Audens shifted his weight back and forth as he watched the shafts of light that crept around the edge of the curtains get brighter and dance across the bed. He still remembered how to stand still for long periods of time. No experienced guard would ever forget how to do so. By the intensity of the light outside and the angle of the beam he guessed that it was already mid-morning. He started to wonder just how long she would be. Audens glanced at the food on her shelves. Most of it looked very fresh. He smiled as he turned his attention back to the door. He could entertain himself with thoughts of just what he'd to do her while he waited. Apparently she could talk again. He was dying to find out just what he'd have to do to her to make her scream.

A sudden flash of white light on the floor in front of him gave him a start but he quickly recovered. She'd teleported right in front of him and she was kneeling down, her back to him. How lucky could he be? He lunged forward with his dagger, intending to press it against her throat.

"Prepare to die, Altmer bitch!" He didn't yell, because he didn't want to wake the neighbours. Much to Audens' surprise he found himself falling forward to the floor behind her unable to move. From his vantage point he watched her stand up and step over towards the bed, her back still to him. What was happening? Had she paralyzed him?

He didn't know how long it took, if it was five minutes or fifty, but she carefully removed all of her armour and placed it on the bed. After she'd done that she took a step back, still facing the far corner, and seemed to be looking through the walls. Lilia had to be mad. She still hadn't looked at him or said anything. Meanwhile Audens was trying desperately to convince his body to start moving again but it stubbornly refused. He was aware of her grey eyes as she turned to look at him. To his horror they became milky white and rolled up as if she was trying to stare at her brain. He was starting to get scared. This was not how it was supposed to go.

The smile she gave him when her eyes returned to normal didn't help to calm him. She knelt down beside him and began stripping off his armour. He could feel her cold hands as they pushed him unceremoniously around. An unseen presence forced his right hand to open and caused the steel dagger to fly over and land on the legion armour she'd stacked in a haphazard pile beside her bed. Lilia was watching him and he took a good look at her.

She bore no traces of their last meeting, other than her hair. It was still short but the back had grown in and it now looked as if she'd chosen such a style. Her skin was still the same dark colour. But unlike last time she had an expression on her face. She gave him a wicked smile as she knelt beside him and fear washed through his body. Were those fangs?

"Not much fun, is it? Being unable to speak, unable to control your own body. A very unpleasant sensation I find." She moved closer, her knees touching his arm. He was now dressed only in a pair of wool pants and a thin cotton tunic. "You are an evil man, Audens Avidius, and the Gods do not want you. Do you know what that means?"

She laughed a cruel, mocking laugh. "That's right, you can't answer." She brought her face down towards his. He could feel her cool breath as she whispered in his ear. "It means that they won't care about what I do to you, you heartless murdering bastard."

Panic was now racing through him. He was trapped in the clutches of a mad mer. A mad mer with fangs. He didn't remember her having those last time.

"Let me see if I can remember what happened when we last met. Oh, yes, how could I forget? Tell me, did you ever wonder what it feels like to be on the receiving end of a beating like that? Allow me to satisfy your curiosity. Don't worry. I won't waste my time on bruises. Those are so inconsequential. No, I think I'll start with the real fun." Her voice was cold and distant and she was watching him as if he was something to be studied, an experiment to be monitored. She didn't seem to be blinking anymore. Just what was she?

Pain exploded from his right shoulder. She had wrenched it right out of the socket, her cold hands grabbing him roughly around the upper arm and tugging with a surprising strength. "Hurts, doesn't it? Pain is a remarkable thing. They say pain is a force that purifies, ennobles, and uplifts. It is the fire that burns away impurities, that melts away imperfections. Those with inner strength are forged into weapons of devastating keenness by pain's fire. Those who are undeserving and weak turn to dark and lifeless ash in its heat. Let's see if that's true."

She stood up and he felt a momentary sense of relief. Perhaps she would leave him and he could escape. The hope was crushed as she placed her foot on his left knee. Pressing her weight on it she suddenly gave it a violent wrench and he could feel the muscles being stretched out of shape. The sensation of her cold foot on his right ankle was worse than the pain that followed - the anticipation and dread were terrible.

His vision grayed a little until a sudden slap on his face pulled him back to reality. She was standing over him, her head cocked to the side, and she was regarding him curiously. "So soon?" She clucked her tongue in disapproval. "For someone so ready to dispense pain I'm surprised by how little you seem to be able to take it."

She was now holding her right foot above his chest. With a fast stomp she brought her heel down and he could hear his ribs snap. Colours seemed to explode across his eyes and it felt like the floor was spinning around him, even though he was unable to move. Her voice seemed to come from a distant place.

"Almost there. There's just one more thing to do."

Audens tried desperately to stay in the colours, to let his mind break free of this prison of hurt, but he was unable to do so. He could see her now, her fangs exposed in a large smile, as she held her foot above his left hand.

"I know it's not the same without steel boots, but I think it'll be close enough." Audens felt the bones in his hand snap as she stepped down hard and twisted. Every limb was now in agony and he welcomed the blackness that danced around the edge of his vision. Her voice was very tiny as she knelt down beside him. The feel of her cold hand stroking his cheek barely registered.

"You've been a bad boy. A very bad boy indeed." She pulled her hand away and gave him an exaggerated pout. "What's the matter Audens? Am I no longer attractive to you? Or do you want me to kiss it and make it all better?"

Her face was just as cold as her hands as she pressed her cheek against his. The sensation of her frigid lips on his neck was followed by such an overwhelming feeling of agony that Audens welcomed the darkness that swept over him. He never emerged from it to note that his day had been a very bad one indeed.


	59. Chapter 59: Interrogation Methods

Pacing the floor, Modryn waved his mace around in frustration. He'd been cooped up in his home for over a week now with nothing but his thoughts and his anger to keep him company. The other members of the guild were treating him like a pariah, afraid to be seen talking to him for fear of Vilena's wrath, and he'd never made many friends outside of the guild. For some reason people tended to be a bit intimidated by him.

Trying to keep himself busy he practiced his skills, whirling and arcing his mace around as he fought off a host of imaginary foes. She was wrong, wrong about everything. She'd been wrong to shelter her son away from the world, she'd been wrong to ignore the threat of the Blackwood Company, and she'd been wrong to expel him from the guild. While she was an experienced and formidable warrior Modryn no longer respected her as a leader. Her attempts to guilt him, to place the blame for Viranus' death on his shoulders, had infuriated him.

The young fighter had gone out with a crew of experienced members to clear a group of trolls from Forsaken Mine. When the fighters had failed to return Modryn had led a team to investigate. What he'd found had troubled him deeply. All of the fighters were dead, but they hadn't been killed by the trolls alone. The injuries clearly indicated that they'd encountered resistance in the form of swords and the discovery of a Khajiit dressed in Blackwood company armour had solved the mystery of who had provided the resistance. But the worst part had been finding Viranus. Modryn had been really fond of the boy, of both of Vilena's boys, and he hadn't bothered to suppress the tears that had sprung to his eyes at the sight of the dead young man's broken body. Kneeling beside him he'd found Viranus' diary and his worst fears had been confirmed.

The Blackwood Company had tried to steal the contract away from the Fighters Guild. The two groups had arrived at the mine at almost the same time. The Blackwood mercenaries had been insensible, according to Viranus' account, and had attacked them in a frenzy. The trolls had also joined the fray, and what should have been a simple assignment ended in disaster. Viranus had managed to crawl away into a small space and write the last entry using his own blood before the trolls had found him.

Modryn had broken the news to Vilena, but instead of sorrow she'd become wild with fury. She'd beaten her fists against his ebony armour as she'd called him every name in the book. Vilena had told him that she blamed him for the deaths of her sons and that as of that moment he was expelled from the guild. She'd also banned him from attending the funeral.

His mace cut even faster through the air as he remembered that final injustice. Not being able to say goodbye properly to the lad, not getting a sense of closure, had been the worst insult. Since then he'd been staying in his home, venturing out occasionally for supplies and to send letters, and waiting for a certain visitor to arrive.

A soft knock on the door caused him to smile. She'd finally come. He hadn't been sure how long it would take her to get here. Opening the door he found Lilia, her brown hood pulled forward, looking like a thief in the night that also happened to be dressed to go to war. The boots he'd given her were on her feet and he was pleased to see them. She'd be far more effective being able to stand on both legs.

"Come in." He herded her into his house and closed the door behind them. "Did anyone see you?"

Lilia pushed the hood back, revealing her helmeted head. "No, I'm pretty sure no one did. But why the secrecy? Can't I even be seen talking to you anymore?"

"It's probably better if you weren't." Modryn filled her in on what had happened to cause his expulsion from the guild, and about Vilena's continuing wrath. Lilia frowned darkly at the tale.

"Did you summon me here to warn me about Vilena? Or was there something else?" She asked. Modryn had sent a note off to the Imperial City care of a courier asking her to come see him as soon as possible. It had taken her longer than he'd expected to arrive.

"Something else. I have another unofficial assignment for you. You don't need to go. If anything goes wrong you'll probably be expelled from the guild and potentially sent to prison." He was surprised to see her smile softly at the mention of prison. She was certainly strange, but he didn't mind it. He still remembered her distressed expression and unusual curse at their first meeting, when she'd realized who she'd tossed onto a bed, and he'd never forget just how much fun she'd had dodging away from his mace. There were few recruits, regardless of gender, who'd happily dance around a mace wielded by Modryn Oreyn with nothing but silk for protection.

He knew she was a member of the Mages Guild. He was convinced that there was something magical being done to the Blackwood company mercenaries. They behaved like crazed zombies from what he'd heard, unable to listen to reason. Her ability to dodge out of the way of weapons combined with her magical talent had captured his attention, as well as her unusual desire to stay busy all the time. Not being a mage himself he'd been hesitant to follow up on some leads he'd received regarding the Blackwood company's perfidy but with her to accompany him he had little to worry about. Well, maybe somewhat less to worry about. He'd still never seen her fight. At least she could keep herself alive, which was the main thing. Worrying about having to keep other fighters alive was always a distraction. It was always preferable to work with experienced members rather than new recruits.

"Is it going to be as much fun as last time?" She gave him another smile as she asked. It seemed as though Lilia had actually enjoyed herself, despite her stubborn horse and lost boot. That in itself was unusual - most new fighters were so intimidated by fighting beside Modryn that they tended to turn white, or green, at the thought.

"Perhaps. A high-ranking member of the Blackwood Company, Ajum-Kajin, is holed up in a nearby cave. I want to ask him a few questions. I suspect he can tell us about the source of the Blackwood Company's powers."

"And you need me to…?"

"He's an Argonian mage, and I doubt he's alone. I need you to keep him from being a threat. Do you think you can handle it?" The one regret Modryn had was that he'd never been much of a mage. Whoever Tiger Lily was she'd had it right. The Battlemage would win every time. He'd been able to read through the back issues of _The Black Horse Courier_ during his exile. He'd been too busy working at the guild to keep on top of them. He found the free newspaper of Cyrodiil to be one of the most useful and informative things to come out of the Imperial City.

"I'll do my best. Where and when are we going?" She pulled out her map from her pack and laid it on his desk. From the markings he could see that she'd done quite a bit of traveling throughout Cyrodiil, or else she'd bought the map second hand. He doubted she'd purchased it like that though.

"Glademist cave. It's here, just off the Orange road. And I'd like to go there now. I was hoping you'd be here a couple of days ago." He watched Lilia mark down the cave's location.

"I've been away from home quite a bit lately. I'll meet you on the road by the north gate out of the city. I know you'd rather us not be seen together." She once more pulled up her hood and moved over to the door. Suddenly she vanished and he watched as his front door opened and closed by itself. She could go invisible and he felt a bit pleased about his choice in companion. She obviously had some skill. He hadn't forgotten how she'd walked across air or tried to paralyze Azani Blackheart.

Modryn checked his armour one last time and locked his door as he left the house. While the snow still blanketed the town the wind had lost its bitter chill. In a few more weeks spring would return to Chorrol and the mighty oak would once more stand tall and proud, bedecked in its thick green mantle of leaves. Like most Dunmer Modryn didn't care much for cold, preferring warmth. Even the heat that descended on the city in the midst of summer was never too hot for him.

He made his way out of the north gates after having to ask the guard to open them for him. Moving along the road he walked slowly, looking for a sign of her presence. It wasn't until he was well out of sight of the gates to the city that she suddenly appeared on the road ahead of him.

As they journeyed to Glademist cave Modryn told her of the suspicions that hung over the death of Vitellus Donton, Vilena's eldest son. He had reason to believe that the Blackwood Company had also been responsible. She didn't seem very pleased by his tales. They stopped talking when they reached the cave.

"Can you cast that spell on me again?" He'd never forget how useful it had been to be able to see the purple figures inside of Atatar. She put her right hand against his cheek and several figures suddenly appeared in front of him. They were clustered fairly close together. Her hand was still just as cold. She must be one of those people who suffered greatly in the winter weather.

"I don't think my way would work this time." She said dryly.

"No. I think there's really only one way to do this." Modryn gave her a grin. "It'll be fun."

"Fun." She shook her head and muttered down at her shortsword as she unsheathed it. "Such a strange mer."

"Who'll go first?" He asked.

"Judging by the spacing of the figures my guess is that it won't matter. I think the area will be big enough for both of us. But you're welcome to go ahead and see." She waved her sword towards the wooden door, made out of rough planks, which led into the cave.

"Why don't you conjure up something and send it in?" From what he'd been told the Chorrol guild hall was home to those who practiced conjuration. She often visited them, so he was surprised when she told him that she had no skill in that form of magic.

Not wanting to delay any longer he moved up to the cave and opened the door. Peeking past it he could see the tunnel that led to the space beyond, where several figures seemed to be having a conversation, was indeed wide enough for both of them to move down. They made their way along the passage very quietly. He was impressed with how stealthy she could be in her strange assortment of armour. Reaching the opening to the cave he felt her tug gently on his earlobe - she hadn't wanted to make a noise by touching her metal covered hand to his metal covered body.

"Close your eyes as tightly as you can. I have an idea." Modryn did as she asked and was surprised to hear what followed.

The sound of stone clattering against stone came from ahead of him. He could hear a few questions from the Blackwood fighters, asking what the noise had been and if anyone was there, before he heard several oaths and exclamations of surprise. Despite having his eyes scrunched tightly shut he had still been able to see the bright light of…something. He opened his eyes and felt her tugging him forward as she ran towards the fighters in the room.

Following behind Modryn saw that most of the mercenaries were blinking rapidly, trying to get their blinded eyes to adjust back to the gloom. They hadn't been harmed in any other way. A couple of them must have been looking elsewhere and they were moving towards Modryn and Lilia. He saw her spin away from the elven longsword of an Argonian before he was forced to pay attention to the angry Khajiit in front of him. His dwarven mace swung past Modryn's head, which was pulled away just in time. As their weapons clashed together he heard Lilia call out to him.

"You don't need any of this lot alive, do you?"

"No." Modryn missed the Khajiit's head but his ebony mace smashed down upon the mercenary's shoulder instead.

"Good." A sudden pillar of flame from the side of the room caused the Khajiit to look over in surprise, allowing Modryn the opportunity to bring his mace in a powerful arc right into the mercenary's unhelmeted skull. One of the first things he'd learnt as a warrior was that you never let your focus waver. While you had to be aware of your surroundings at all times you couldn't let things that weren't an immediate threat interfere with your concentration. The Khajiit no longer a problem, Modryn looked over towards where the flames had been.

The armour the Argonian had been wearing was steaming on the floor, the body nowhere to be seen. Modryn watched as Lilia stepped behind another Khajiit and shoved her shortsword up into the base of his skull. The three remaining mercenaries, an Orc, an Imperial, and a Bosmer, were starting to move towards her. The fire she'd used on the Argonian had briefly blinded their painful eyes for a second time.

He kept his mace ready but stood back to watch how she handled the threat. It wasn't quite what he expected. Her body suddenly became clear and rippled as if made out of water. The Orc and the Imperial stopped in surprise, unable to see her anymore as their eyes hadn't yet fully adjusted. The Bosmer, with his keener sight, could. The mer moved to attack her as she stepped beside the Orc. She pulled the startled mercenary to the side, causing the Wood Elf's shortsword to stab into his companion instead of her. The point of her daedric shortsword appeared through the Orc's cuirass and the Bosmer had to dodge as she pushed the dead weight towards him.

She'd pulled off the Orc's helmet as she'd shoved him forward. Lilia tossed it to land with a clatter behind the Imperial. The mercenary whirled around at the sound and Modryn watched as Lilia ran quietly past him, away from the Bosmer, slicing off the man's head in the process. Her chameleon spell had either worn off or been dismissed. She was now fully visible as she fled from the Wood Elf. Just as it looked as if she would run full tilt into the rock wall she stopped suddenly and spun down into a crouch while stabbing forward with her sword. The startled Bosmer at her heels was unable to stop his motion and his momentum carried him forward. Her shortsword was now buried in the mer's chest, and his own sword dropped out of his loosened grip to clatter against the rock below. Standing she shoved the Wood Elf away and held her sword up, coating it with a blast of magical flames. When she brought it back down Modryn could see that it was now clean.

"That was…unusual. But effective." He'd occasionally wondered how she handled herself in a fight, since she never seemed to carry a shield. She almost fought more like an assassin than a warrior. There were many fighters who tiraded loudly against using tricks to keep themselves alive but Modryn didn't share their sentiments. Anything that let him walk away from a battle was a good thing in his books.

"Thanks." She didn't seem to be breathing any faster than normal. She really was a strange one. "Let's just hope your information was correct."

She moved off to the wooden door that was set in the far wall. Lilia motioned for Modryn to stand beside it on one side and she stood on the other. He watched as she sent a spell into it. From the click he heard he guessed that she'd unlocked it magically. The door seemed to open on its own and a jet of intense frost burst out. As it passed by he saw Lilia stick her hand into the room and a small green discharge of magical energy shoot out from it.

"Come." She waved him in and Modryn saw that Ajum-Kajin was lying stiffly on the floor. Looking around he saw that the room had been set up as a base of operations. A round table with several maps and pieces of parchment on top sat in the centre of the space. Various shelves were ranged around the curved rock walls, armour and weapons arranged neatly on them. Modryn moved forward and pulled out the shackles that he'd brought with him. It was a bit awkward but between the two of them they managed to get the Argonian seated and bound.

"I know you want to ask him some questions, but do you mind if I do something first? You might find him more receptive afterwards." She was whispering into his ear. Modryn nodded, curious as to what she would do.

Lilia sent a wave of magicka that Modryn didn't recognize into the captive mage. At the same time Ajum-Kajin started moving again. He didn't know what the Argonian was saying but it seemed to be magical, and it also seemed to be ineffective.

"You can silence me all you want but I won't talk. Do your worst, Fighters Guild scum." Ajum-Kajin hissed in their direction.

Lilia was rummaging around in her pack. She pulled off her gloves and retrieved a steel dagger and a small empty vial. Without a word she walked over to the Blackwood mercenary. Much to Modryn's surprise she began carefully cutting away the left side of his coat and shirt. Ajum-Kajin was watching her movements warily. As she reached across to his right shoulder the Argonian's eyes widened.

"Necromancer bitch, you…argh!"

She was holding her left hand beside the mage's now twitching face. Shock magic arced from her fingers as she gently moved them up and down above his head, the muscles underneath spasming wildly as she went.

"Quiet." She sent another jet of green magicka into him. As Lilia cut away the right side of his clothes Modryn thought about what Ajum-Kajin had called her. She was a Necromancer - he knew he'd seen the symbol on the back of her hand before. But how could she be a Mages Guild member? He thought they'd banned the practice and expelled anyone who didn't comply. Maybe she was reformed.

He started to doubt that she was reformed as he watched her carefully make a small cut into the stiffened neck of the mage. The small trickle of blood that ran out was captured in the glass vial she was pressing against his pale red scales. Modryn thought that collecting blood was something that Necromancers would surely do. To his surprise she healed the wound and once more released Ajum-Kajin from the paralyzation spell.

"He's all yours." Lilia said to Modryn as she headed back to her pack. Not waiting, he stepped quickly in front of the Argonian. As he stared down at Ajum-Kajin he was surprised to see that the mage seemed to be more interested in keeping Lilia in view than worrying about the angry warrior standing in front of him.

"She's not very happy, you know. She lost her zombie to a group of your men." Modryn whispered. Ajum-Kajin's eyes widened and darted between Modryn and Lilia. He was definitely frightened by the Necromancer. "She's looking forward to getting a new one. I think she likes you." The Dunmer had no idea how Necromancers worked or what they did, but he guessed that Ajum-Kajin didn't know either.

"What do you want?" The Argonian hissed the question, but he didn't take his eyes from Lilia.

"Just a little information about the Blackwood Company."

"Why should I tell you anything?"

"Because if you don't I'll let her finish the ritual. I've always wondered what an Argonian zombie looks like." Panic was evident on the mage's face at Modryn's words. The Dark Elf pressed his advantage. "How many mercenaries work for the company?"

"About a hundred." Ajum-Kajin whispered the answer.

"Who is your leader?"

The Argonian hesitated briefly and Modryn turned away, raising his hand as if signaling for Lilia to come join him.

"No! I'll tell you." He waved her back and turned to the mage. "Its Ri'Zakar."

"Very good. Last question. What is the source of your power?" Modryn asked as he leaned in closer to whisper in Ajum-Kajin's ear.

"I can't! I'll never tell!" As Ajum-Kajin screamed out the words in defiance Modryn found himself being pulled backwards by an unseen force, away from the intense fire that was busy consuming the Argonian and the chair he sat on. He landed heavily on the cool rock floor of the cave. He watched as Lilia stalked angrily past him over to the pile of smoldering ash. She waved her hand above it and he saw a small metal ring float up and land on her bare right palm. With a hiss she flung it away and coated her hand in blue magic.

"Sick bastards. The ring's got an incredibly powerful fire enchantment that would incinerate any who wore it. Did you learn what you needed to?" She was offering her left hand to Modryn and he grabbed it to help pull himself off the floor.

"Not everything, but enough. I'll have to think about what to do next." He didn't let go of her - instead he slid his hand up to grip her wrist and held it firmly in place. The symbol wasn't quite the same as the one he'd seen before. The guild had received a contract to clear out a Necromancer who was living in a cave north of Roxey Inn and killing off travelers who went past it. The innkeeper had hired the guild to deal with the Dark mage, because she'd been steadily losing both new business and old customers. Modryn had led the group personally on that assignment. The skull motif he'd seen on Raelynn's robes didn't have the snake wiggling in and out of the empty eye sockets that was on Lilia's hand.

"I'm not a Necromancer." She wasn't pulling her hand away. "I escaped from one that was trying to turn me into a zombie. In the process I received that mark. You didn't see it the first time we met because I was hiding it with illusion magic. I'm no more a Necromancer than you're Sotha Sil."

Modryn released her wrist and looked at her curiously. "Then why did you collect his blood?"

"For research. In restoration magic, not Necromancy." She quickly explained. "Blood is used to help develop better curative spells but as you can imagine the University finds it difficult to obtain fresh samples. So they pay well as an incentive."

"You're doing it for the septims?"

"A girl's got to make a living somehow. Did you need me for anything else right now?"

Modryn shook his head. There wasn't anything else he could do at the moment. He needed to think. "No. Thank you for coming along. Can I contact you if I need you again?"

"Sure. I really must be going. I hope I'll see you again. Take care of yourself, Modryn." Lilia disappeared in a flash of white light.

He shook his head again as he moved over to the table. She may be a strange one, but she was a very useful ally. As he sat down and began reading through the parchments that littered the table top he found his mind starting to create a very interesting plan, one that she just might be able to pull off. Perhaps in a little while she could be useful once more.


	60. Chapter 60: Hail to the King

The teleportation pad hummed below his feet, bringing him back up to the council chambers. The displeased mages were unhappy about his departure from the room. Tensions were running high amongst the group. Raminus hadn't felt anything so volatile since Hanibal Traven first came to power all those years ago, and he well remembered the spectacular explosions that had resulted in the resignation of half the council. Hopefully it wouldn't come to that again.

"She's coming up." He said as he stepped off the pad and made his way back over to his seat beside Hanibal. A soft whoosh heralded the arrival of Lilia, clad once more in full armour, as she appeared suddenly on the teleportation pad.

Like last time she had sent an Apprentice up with her note. The young Imperial she'd corralled had been somewhat less nervous about interrupting a group of powerful wizards and their endless debates. When Raminus had entered the foyer she'd told him that she had vital information about Mannimarco but refused to say what she knew or how she'd learnt it. She'd insisted that she needed to go before the council and had asked Raminus to make sure that they wouldn't attack her when she teleported up to join them.

He hadn't been too surprised by her paranoia. He was getting used to it by now. He still couldn't believe her accusation that a member of the council was a Necromancer. Raminus was sure there was a logical explanation for how the Breton at Nenyond Twyll had known that it was Lilia who had been sent to follow up on Mucianus Alias. He'd believe it was a lucky guess before he'd believe that any of his fellow council members was a traitor. Nonetheless he had spoken to the group and they'd given their consent for her to appear before them.

Raminus had returned once more to the foyer and had first extracted a promise from her that she would behave before he'd told her that she could go up to the mages. She'd insisted that he go up first. He still couldn't believe how suspicious the Magician was. As she surveyed the council he wondered if she was still expecting some sort of an attack. While she certainly wasn't making friends with the council there was no reason for her to be so apprehensive about being in their presence.

"Magician, I'm sure you have a good reason for interrupting the council." Hanibal's voice was not as warm as it had been. The Breton was under a lot of strain as he strived to keep the mages together. Hanibal was one of the wisest people he knew, and Raminus was glad that Arch Mage Traven was at the head of the Mages Guild during such dark times. The guild was lucky to have him.

"I'd say my reason is more than good. I know where Mannimarco is hiding." Lilia was watching the council as they spluttered at her words.

"You can't possibly know that." Caranya's disbelief was evident in her voice.

"Are you still trying to spread your lies?" Maranique was not happy about what her Battlemages had found at Nenyond Twyll. According to them the Necromancer, from what they could reconstruct of her, had not been killed by an arrow. As a result the Imperial Battlemage no longer trusted anything that Lilia told them. She was the deciding vote that had caused the council's inaction. Maranique wanted independent confirmation of the King of Worms' presence in Cyrodiil before she would believe in the threat.

"I'm sure I know exactly why you have that information." Irlov leaned forward in his seat as he frowned angrily at Lilia's gauntleted left hand. Raminus didn't care much for the Imperial. Normally he was too busy heading up his research projects, which were nothing but thinly disguised treasure hunting expeditions paid for and staffed by the Mages Guild, to bother much with council business. But when he did attend meetings he often jumped to the wildest conclusions. Raminus suspected it was his desire to demonstrate just how clever and imaginative he thought he was. He was also ridiculously stubborn, refusing to let things drop.

"And just how did you come to possess this knowledge?" The Arch Mage asked her quietly. Lilia tore her eyes from the three incredulous members of the council and looked calmly at Hanibal.

"From Count Hassildor."

It was Raminus' turn to splutter. Her audacity was unbelievable. "You approached the Count about this matter without discussing it first with the council? You dared put our alliance in jeopardy? Why would you do such a thing?"

"Because it's something I…we needed to know." Lilia corrected herself quickly but the council caught her choice of pronouns. She continued before they could start spouting off at her again, directing her words directly to the Arch Mage. "We cannot wait to move against him. The King of Worms has a spy on this very council. Any more delay and you risk the lives of every member of the guild. Time will only weaken our position."

Her last words were barely audible to Raminus' ears. Caranya, Maranique, and Irlov had all started shouting at Lilia. They were either actively questioning her intelligence, taking offence at her baseless slander, or accusing her of being a traitor. It was Irlov's words that caught Raminus' ears and Lilia's attention.

"I demand that you show me that mark right now. Prove to me that you aren't a spy for Mannimarco." His tone of voice conveyed more than just his words - it also clearly indicated his hostility.

"You're a fool. You dare accuse me of working for the Necromancers?" She shot a look of contempt at the Imperial before looking back to Hanibal. "I sincerely hope you are less of a fool than your compatriots. If you fail to act then I will have no choice but to act for you. What are your orders, Arch Mage?"

Raminus never did find out what Traven's orders were. Irlov chose that moment to leap out of his seat and send a jet of paralyzation magic into the Magician standing in front of the council, obviously intending to prevent her from resisting his removal of her gauntlet. To Irlov's dismay Lilia seemed to absorb the spell, probably from some form of magical immunity. Incensed at her continued refusal to satisfy his curiosity Irlov readied a small fireball. Raminus watched as it traveled towards her, passing through the white light that signaled her departure from the room. She'd teleported out of the council chambers leaving the angry mages behind.

Not finished with the spotlight Irlov began ranting about her loyalty, or lack thereof, before stomping over to a display case on the wall. He grabbed the Bloodworm Helm, one of the magical items that Raminus knew he coveted, and continued to shout about the need for more information. His plan to somehow study away the King of Worms made little sense to Raminus. Before anyone could stop him Irlov teleported out of the council chambers.

Caranya was the next to go. She'd always insisted that in order to defeat the Necromancers the guild needed to study their ways and magics. She said that only by knowing them could they hope to defeat them. But unlike Lilia Raminus suspected that Caranya wanted to do more than just read up about the Dark mages' practices and procedures. Some of her arguments sounded very similar to the ones that Ulliceta gra-Krog had given back when the debate about whether or not to ban the practices had raged. The Altmer said she intended to continue her research and snatched the Necromancer's Amulet from its resting place in a velvet lined display case before teleporting away to parts unknown.

Maranique, upset that she hadn't had the slightest bit of attention paid to her loud remarks, had to settle for flouncing off to the teleportation pad. The Warlock couldn't even cast teleport. She might be a competent administrator but she certainly wasn't a powerful mage. Raminus looked over to Hanibal - the Arch Mage had watched all of this unfold with a very tired expression on his face.

"Magnificent, isn't she?" Traven looked over and suddenly smiled brightly.

"Maranique?" Raminus couldn't believe it. There was no way that the Imperial Battlemages' illusion magic was strong enough to charm the Arch Magister.

"Lilia."

Raminus let out a throaty noise of shock, something between a cough and a laugh. Magnificent was certainly not a word he'd use to describe her. Paranoid, ridiculous, short-tempered, uncivil - those were all words that sprang to mind when he thought of her.

"She thinks I'm a fool." Hanibal said softly.

"You're no fool. You're the smartest man I know." Raminus quickly reassured the Breton.

"Ah, but I'd say I'm neither. The truth probably lies somewhere in the middle of that spectrum." The Arch Magister shook his head. "I'm sure the same holds true for her. You consider her an impulsive and reckless girl, while I consider her a brave and noble leader. I wonder what lies in between those two extremes."

"Brave and noble leader?" Perhaps the pressure had finally gotten to the older man, had he not noticed that her 'brave and noble' leadership had resulted in the loss of the council?

"Yes. She was right in her choice of actions. The guild could use someone like her in charge."

"What? The council wouldn't last five minutes under her." Raminus couldn't keep the incredulousness from his voice.

"And perhaps that's exactly what the guild needs. Not a group of wizards debating in circles and accomplishing nothing, not a tired old man who works too hard to keep the peace, but someone who isn't afraid to tell the lot of them to go to the Nine Hells." Hanibal let out a large sigh. "It's a pity that she's going to die. But it's up to us to make sure that her death is not in vain. I must go speak to Maranique. We need the Battlemages to recover those two artifacts at once before Irlov and Caranya lose them to the wrong hands. Perhaps when that task is complete we can figure out how we'll deal with Mannimarco."

Raminus watched as Traven walked over to the teleportation pad. As the Breton vanished from the room Raminus mused over his words. Much as she irritated him he certainly didn't want Lilia dead. But there was nothing he could do to aid her now. He didn't even know what she was about to do.

* * *

Time was of the essence, and she urged the black stallion beneath her to increase his pace. They were speeding along the Silver road leaving angry bandits and bears behind. Lilia was sending balls of frost into them to discourage pursuit and so far the strategy was working. She didn't have time to stop and fight them all. For an immortal she found time to be the one thing that she was sorely lacking.

She felt sorry for the petite Imperial she'd pulled off the horse. The woman had been about to start her rounds to deliver copies of the latest _Black Horse Courier_. Lilia had been invisible, about to steal a different horse from the stables, and had been pleased to see the magnificent animal that the Imperial had already saddled up. Lilia had quickly shoved the woman to the ground, jumped onto the back of the horse, and spurred him on along the road. The Imperial had landed hard but she'd survived. Lilia wondered just what sort of drivel she would have to read about in future. Tthe newspaper would probably come up with an issue about a plague of ghosts who were stealing horses for daedric rituals or some other ridiculous rot.

The identity of the traitor was still a mystery. There'd been no distinct enough reaction from Maranique, Irlov, or Caranya to discern. Traven, though a contemptible fool, was loyal to the guild based on his body language. She cursed the Gods bitterly. If only the guild had a competent leader she wouldn't be in this position. She cursed them again - if it weren't for the Gods she wouldn't be in this position at all. Just how did they expect her to accomplish this task? Unlike the Arch Mage she was no fool. She knew she could never hope to survive without Divine assistance.

Though her journey was fast it hadn't been fast enough. Lilia was bitterly disappointed to find a hooded Necromancer waiting for her outside of the entrance to Echo Cave. She was even more disappointed when he started calling to her by name at the sound of her pilfered horse's hooves.

"Lilia. You've made excellent time. The master will be so pleased to…urk."

She sneered at the body of the dead Dunmer. While he'd been starting his little speech, which she was sure he'd been rehearsing in his head as he'd waited for her, she'd crept up invisibly behind him and plunged her shortsword up into the base of his skull. She prayed quickly to the Gods that she had so recently been railing against. If all of the Necromancers in the cave were as unversed in mysticism as this mer had been then she might just have a chance. Well, at least a chance against them. What awaited her at the end of her battles was something entirely different.

As she moved stealthily through the cave, silently killing off the servants of Mannimarco like a good little assassin, she struggled to come to grips with just what she was about to do. Lilia had pondered and worried and dissected the matter over and over in her mind but had been unable to come to any other conclusion. She could see no other reason that she'd been pushed to join the Mages Guild. The Nine wished for her to go up against Mannimarco, Psijic of Arteum, centuries old Lich, purported Demi-God, defeater of Vanus Galerion, and King of Worms. And she was to do so armed with an enchanted daedric shortsword, a silver bow, a patchy history of magical training, and a rather unstable mind. Again she pushed down her rising fear and tried to trust in the will of the Divines.

Fortunately for her she found that the Necromancers in the cave, while forewarned of her arrival, hadn't bothered to cast any detect life spells and were patrolling idly, arrogantly trusting in their superiority to protect them. She moved through them, killing them as she'd been taught by Tee-Lan. The former Shadowscale had been a very good if very cruel instructor. Lilia had spent two years with him before the Gods had finally seen fit to send her elsewhere. The Argonian had been rather fond of correcting, scolding, and reinforcing her with the use of a supple larch switch. She still couldn't look at the trees without cringing. Draconian though his methods had been she had learnt so much from him, including how to kill noiselessly and instantly. The technique didn't do her much good if there were other people around. Most enemies were intelligent enough to realize that there was someone else in the room when they watched their allies dying around them. But the Necromancers all patrolled alone, occasionally accompanied by summoned zombies or daedra. It pleased her to watch the conjured creatures disappear in a shower of golden sparks as their conjurers collapsed dead to the floor. Lilia wasn't bothering to incinerate or cut up the bodies. There was neither the time nor the magicka resources to do so.

The air in the cave was getting cooler as she made her way further down into the world of Nirn but it wasn't just the cold rock that she could feel. Evil, frightening in its chill intensity, hung low to the ground like a physical force that she had to wade through. Much to her distress the part of her that she'd come to think of as evil, that hated snake, was responding with happiness to the dark sensation. Looking ahead she could only see two figures left. One was normal, most likely one of the races of men, but the other one, the one that was standing even lower in the cave, was something she'd never seen before. Instead of flickering with the flow of blood, or remaining steady in undeath, it pulsed. The purple aura would start in the centre and expand quickly, outlining a tall figure, before extending out in a halo around the Altmer. The radiant violet haze would then shrink back and the cycle would repeat. Gods, what had the Gods gotten her into?

The final Necromancer was unlike the others - he was waiting for her. Lilia had to dive out of the way of his intense magical lightning. Hiding behind a large rock she quickly sheathed her sword and pulled out her bow and arrow. She didn't want to use any of her magicka unless absolutely necessary, instead saving it all for Mannimarco. Using the detect life spell her vampirism conferred on her she aimed, quickly stuck her weapon above the rock, and fired.

Damn! While she'd struck the Breton she'd merely hit him in the shoulder. The unnatural voice of a daedra made her heart drop. She did not want to fight one of those as well. As fast as she could she once more readied an arrow and sent it flying at the Dark mage. Again the arrow reached her target but again she hadn't managed to kill him. Meanwhile the heavily armoured demon was quickly running towards her as he called out about just what he was going to do her corpse. It wasn't pleasant.

Deciding to risk it she ran away from the daedra, ducking under the intense burst of shock magicka that whizzed overhead, and fired off another arrow. This time her arrow finally connected as she wanted it to and embedded itself firmly in the Breton's open mouth. Since she'd fired from a crouched position the arrow had gone up at an angle and had penetrated the Necromancer's brain. As Lilia pulled out her shortsword to fend off the massive daedric claymore that was racing towards her head she was pleased to see it dissolve in a fine orange mist just as it was about to hit her. She looked down at her gauntleted and ringed hands and thanked the Nine. She'd managed to make it to Mannimarco unharmed.

Looking through the rock that separated them she realized Mannimarco hadn't moved during her skirmish with the Necromancer. Abandoning all hope of surprise she cast the strongest spell absorption shield she could create around herself. Not having any other ideas she said a prayer to the Gods and stepped through the opening in the wall into the space beyond.

The cavern was huge. The ceiling was high overhead and dripped with stalactites that looked far too similar to fangs for her taste. She was on a flat rocky platform that narrowed into a small footpath before widening back out into a large circular shape. Unnaturally dark water surrounded the black rock. There was nowhere to run to, other than away.

Lilia felt her eyes being drawn forward. Mannimarco was standing in front of a stone altar. Two braziers were burning brightly on either side of it, providing the only illumination in the cave. Cloth hangings featuring the King of Worm's symbol were hung from the rough walls. She found her eyes locking onto his golden ones. He was old, centuries old, yet he didn't really look it. Other than the gray hair on his head he still looked young for a High Elf. He also didn't look at all like a lich - he still had skin and flesh. In fact, Lilia found looking at him fascinating. His power radiated from within and she felt him to be the most charming Altmer she'd ever met. She found herself walking towards him over the footpath, happier with each step that brought her nearer to his presence. The sudden appearance of spiked rocks behind her, forming an enclosing ring of what looked like massive bony fingers around the circular platform on which they stood, didn't even register.

"Lilia." He spoke her name gently and she delighted in the sound of his voice. "You're a vampire. I do so like the children of Molag Bal. I've been waiting ever so long to meet you, and here you are. You've finally come to me."

Her lips curled up in a contented smile. He was happy that she was a vampire, happy that she'd come to him. The knowledge made her heart sing. She so wanted to please him. The King of Worms was looking curiously at her and she wanted to answer any and all of his questions. He need only ask.

"And you've trained with the Psijics. A powerful group but a narrow-minded one. They failed to see my brilliance." Sudden anger flared through her at the Psijics of Arteum. How could they have doubted this magnificent mer? He was a genius. Mannimarco continued. "You certainly do have a unique power to you. I'm sure it will be delightful to study it. I'm sure it will be quite…enthralling."

At the word Lilia suddenly snapped out of it. He'd used a charm spell on her unlike any she'd ever encountered. She realized she was standing mere feet away from a now very displeased Mannimarco - he was not happy that his spell had been disrupted. Lilia barely had time to fortify her spell absorption magic before she was knocked off her feet. The King of Worms was casting something on her that she'd only experienced in potion form before and Lilia tried hard to keep from panicking as she recognized it. He was trying to turn her into a worm thrall. His spell was so powerful that she couldn't absorb it all. Magicka ran up and down her body in painful waves but she tried her best to channel it back into her protective enchantment. She'd been called away from the Psijics before she'd had time to perfect the spell.

As Mannimarco moved closer to her she felt her body sliding against the rocky floor. His spell was so strong she was physically being pushed back. Lilia kept focusing on her spell absorption shield and began praying fervently to the Nine. Anytime now they could do whatever it was that they were planning to do. She wouldn't stop them.

The thump of stone against her back scared her. The King of Worms wasn't relenting in the torrent of Dark magicka that he sent at her and was moving towards the side, trying to better aim it at her head. Lilia began muttering incantations and waving her metal covered fingers in a desperate bid to make her spell stronger. As she found herself being squeezed between his spell and the spiked rocks pressing hard against her back a sudden revelation almost caused her to lose control of her magicka. She was such an arrogant fool. Her mind fought to keep herself alive as her emotions raced wildly, trying to digest the idea.

The Gods hadn't sent her to Mannimarco. Lilia realized that she'd received no push, no guidance, in her path. She'd chosen on her own to confront the King of Worms, assuming that she was somehow special enough in the eyes of the Divines to have them keep her alive. It had been her own pride and hasty judgment that had brought her here, to the cold stone floor in the presence of immeasurable evil. It was her own choices that had led her here to die.

As she mouthed the incantations, no longer able to draw breath since she was being squeezed so tightly between the spell in front of her and the rock behind her, she realized that she wasn't ready to leave Nirn yet. Much as she thought she wished for an end to her suffering she found her instincts all working to fight back, to keep herself alive. She focused on channeling even more excess magicka into her shield. She would not give up - she would never surrender to Mannimarco. The knowledge that if she died before he could turn her into a worm thrall that there would be no body for him to desecrate, only ashes, provided her with a small sense of comfort.

Pain was starting to intrude on her spell and she struggled even harder to keep it intact. Lilia wasn't sure but she imagined that a vampire could die from being crushed to death. Panic, despair, anger, and hope all clashed within her. She couldn't teleport - even a momentary lapse in her spell would have dire results. She couldn't flee - his powerful magics were trapping her in position. Lilia had no one to aid her. She'd run off without even informing the Arch Mage of where to find Mannimarco. Bitterness washed over her at her cursed decision. If only she'd asked for help, if only she'd trusted someone.

The dwarven cuirass was starting to buckle under the pressure, digging into her aching back. She fought the darkness that was pressing into her vision and tried to accept the situation. She was going to die here, destroyed by Mannimarco. She wouldn't even leave a body behind. Perhaps no one would ever know what had happened to her. Those who might mourn her passing would think that she'd run off on them, unaware of her death at the hands of the King of Worms. It was a painful thought. She was trapped here, unable to do anything at all except die. His spell increased in strength and she valiantly marshaled every last resource to combat it. His power was incredible. She felt overwhelmed and desperately alone.

Sudden images of tea and armchairs flashed into her mind and she latched onto them with a feverish hope. Perhaps she could buy herself just enough time to teleport away. Maintaining her focus she called out to her ancestors in the back of her mind. If she was ever in need of help, now was the time.

Damn! Hanarai had appeared behind Mannimarco. She'd been hoping that the apparition of the wild hare would distract him, perhaps causing him to turn his magics briefly on the ancestor guardian instead, allowing her a chance to escape. It had been worth a shot, but her last card had been played and she now knew what sort of hand she'd been dealt. Lilia watched through blurry eyes as the King of Worms stepped closer towards her, near to the edge of the rocky surface. Tears of pain and tears of sadness were clouding her vision as she looked at the Altmer who was about to kill her. Hanarai was hopping around behind him, disappearing from view behind his robes. She wouldn't even be able to take the sight of that small comfort with her to her grave.

"AH!" Mannimarco's angry cry jolted her to her core. Lilia blinked rapidly, trying to clear her vision, as she felt his spell stop abruptly. Mannimarco was twisting towards his left side, aiming his hands behind himself, when his right leg collapsed out from under him. She watched in shock as he fell over towards the sharp curved stone fingers that encircled the ground. She couldn't believe her eyes when she saw the tip of the bonelike protrusion pierce his head and saw his purple glow dim to blackness. Hanarai, blood on her mouth, hopped over towards the broken woman on the cave floor.

Lilia breathed deeply and began to laugh. Her laughter was overly loud, tinged with hysteria. She looked up at the stalactites overhead and laughed until her crushed ribs could take no more and tears ran down her face. Mannimarco, the King of Worms, was dead and Lilia, the somewhat insane undead servant of the Nine, was still alive, thanks to the beloved dead pet of the dead Redoran warrior Novor Sarethi. How was she ever going to explain this to anyone?


	61. Chapter 61: New Order

Raminus was frowning as he stared at the mystical symbols glowing on the top of the round table that sat in the middle of the council chambers. Maranique Julalanie had just finished updating Hanibal and himself on the results of the Battlemages' trips to recover the artifacts that Irlov Jarol and Caranya had removed from the University. The Bloodworm Helm and Necromancer's Amulet had returned, but Irlov and Caranya had not. The two Master Wizards were dead.

Necromancers had murdered Irlov as he'd hidden in Fort Teleman, an abandoned fort northeast of Leyawiin. The Battlemages had found the Necromancers still there and after a fierce battle had recovered the helm and Jarol's body. Though they managed to kill the Necromancers they had lost three of their own in the process.

The news from Fort Ontus had been even worse. The Battlemages had been led into a trap. Caranya and a group of Necromancers had been masquerading as loyal members of the Mages Guild. The Necromancers had guided the Battlemages deep into the abandoned fort to Caranya and had attacked without warning. Caranya had been a traitor; she'd been actively working for Mannimarco and had stolen the amulet for him. The Battlemages had managed to kill both her and the Necromancers but lost half of their battalion in the heated fight. The guild could ill afford such losses, especially since the King of Worms himself was in Cyrodiil.

The thought of Caranya's treachery made him think once more of Lilia, who'd been correct in her paranoia. It had been two days since she'd vanished from the council chambers, taking her knowledge of Mannimarco's whereabouts with her. He sincerely hoped that Hanibal was wrong about her fate. The guild could use every ally they could get right now.

The soft hum of the teleportation pad caused all three to look over to the glowing portal. Lilia appeared in front of them, holding a hideous staff and carrying what appeared to be a body wrapped up in her brown cloak over her shoulder. Golden feet, one clad in a leather sandal, were dangling out from the hem of a black robe which peeped out from under the cloak. A large chunk of flesh was missing from the right ankle; it was a nasty looking wound.

"Magician! You've succeeded?" Raminus didn't understand what the Arch Mage was asking. Succeeded in what? And why was she lugging around a body?

"Yes. Mannimarco is dead." As she spoke she unceremoniously tossed the body onto the table, the brown cloth falling away to reveal an Altmer dressed in unique Necromancer's robes, a massive hole right through his forehead. There was little doubt as to how the mer had died.

"Are you trying to say that's the King of Worms?" Maranique was incredulous.

"Who else would it be? Who else would be wearing the King of Worms' robes and carrying the Staff of Worms?" Lilia waved the ugly staff in her right hand. Raminus took a good look at it. The staff looked as if it was constructed from tumours, a disgusting bubbling mass of black wood.

"May I?" Hanibal was holding his hands out to her and Lilia floated the staff magically across to him. Raminus watched as the Arch Mage studied it intently, before finally nodding his head gently. "There is no question. This is the Staff of Worms; Mannimarco would never willingly part with this."

"You can't possibly believe that a lying Magician was able to defeat the King of Worms." Maranique scoffed at the idea.

"Quiet. I will not have you speak like that about the savior of the guild." Traven's voice was sharp as he reprimanded the Warlock. He turned back to Lilia and gave her a large smile. "Thank you Magician."

"Lilia. Please, call me Lilia." She was smiling back at the Arch Mage. "Just please don't call me the savior of the guild again."

Hanibal chuckled at her request. "You don't seek fame, do you? All the better for the guild, I think." The Breton rose out of his chair and placed the staff on the table beside the body of Mannimarco. "Lilia, I hereby promote you to ar..."

"Master Wizard. With a seat on the council. I will accept nothing more." She hastily spoke over Hanibal and Raminus raised an eyebrow at her choice of words. Didn't she mean nothing less, not nothing more?

"Hmm. Very well, I shall respect your decision. I hereby promote you to Master Wizard and grant you a seat on the council of mages."

"What? She hasn't even been a member for a year! How can you do this? Shouldn't the council have a say in this?" Maranique squawked out the questions. Raminus suspected she was outraged that Lilia now outranked her in the guild hierarchy.

"No. The council has no jurisdiction in this matter, and I would appreciate it if you kept quiet." Hanibal was giving the Imperial Battlemage a severe look. Raminus chuckled as he saw Lilia quickly stick out her tongue at the Warlock. She really could behave like a child sometimes, but he didn't find it annoying for once. He could use some lightness after the dark business of the last few weeks.

Arch Mage Traven had stepped away from his seat at the table. He was speaking to all three of them, but he was looking at Raminus. "It has been an honour to serve the Mages Guild as its Arch Mage. The time has come for decisive action and bold leadership. And so I hereby renounce my position as Arch Magister of the Mages Guild."

Raminus had never expected this to happen. How could Hanibal do this now? How could he leave the guild leaderless when it desperately needed someone to oversee its repairs? The Necromancers had done a lot of damage with their spies, lies, and murders and there was much work to be done to make the Mages Guild whole again.

"According to the charter in cases like this the council must choose a new Arch Mage from among its members." Maranique's magically coloured aqua eyes were sparkling as she spoke happily. "Since I am not only a member of the council, but also leader of the Battlemages, I would suggest that I be appointed the next Arch Mage. I'm more than experienced enough to handle the position."

Lilia laughed heartily at the Breton's words, and Maranique glared angrily at her. "Warlock, I'm sure you're more than experienced enough to handle a variety of positions, but that has nothing to do with the Mages Guild."

Maranique coloured brightly; Raminus wasn't sure if she was blushing or furious. The Battlemage snapped back at Lilia. "As if you're any more qualified for the post. You've not even had any training!"

Lilia shook her head. "I would never accept the position to begin with. But I am well trained; I would suggest you lose the mage arrogance that seems to run rampant throughout the guild. The Mages Guild does not hold a monopoly on magical instruction." Raminus was aware of her grey eyes now on him. Lilia smiled sweetly at him as she spoke. "No, I think there is only one person qualified to take over as leader of the guild. I cast my vote for Master Wizard Polus."

Raminus was stunned. He'd never seriously considered the job before, other than the occasional idle daydream. But as he looked at the two women, the only other members of the council, he saw that there wasn't much choice. Maranique was simply not skilled enough to run the guild, and he couldn't imagine what Lilia would do if he tried to get her to accept the post. He also couldn't imagine what she would do if she did take it. It wasn't what he'd anticipated but he accepted the idea. Arch Mage Polus did have a certain ring to it.

"I will do my best for the guild. Thank you for the confidence you have in me." He nodded at Lilia as Maranique stood up quickly in a fit of pique. She stormed out of the council chambers with her enchanted nose held high.

Lilia adjusted her grey robe before sitting down in an empty chair and gesturing for Hanibal to join them. Raminus was again aware of the dead body of the King of Worms on the table and curiosity threatened to overwhelm him. Just how had this happened? When he looked back at her she had a mischievous grin on her face.

"I suppose you'd like to hear the tale. I know you're curious about just where I received my training." She nodded at Raminus and he felt a bit embarrassed; Fathis must have told her about his inquiries last year. "I'll need to start from the beginning, with my trip to the Ahemmusa camp on the island of Vvardenfell..."

* * *

The sun shone brightly and the now clean brown cloak that hung about her shoulders captured its warmth. Lilia was following a ways behind an Imperial Legion soldier mounted on a chestnut horse that was slowly making his way up the Silver road towards Bruma. She made sure to follow just far enough behind that he wouldn't try to make conversation with her, but close enough to him that any bandits lurking the road would leave her be. For the first time in a while she wanted to be alone with her thoughts.

A lark flitted by in front of her and she smiled as she watched its flight. It was the fourteenth of Sun's Dawn and spring was starting to make its appearance. The warm earthy aroma of mud now mingled with the chill scent of snow. Wildflowers were sending up tentative shoots, testing to see if it was yet time to unfurl their colourful petals. It was a time of renewal and Lilia offered up prayers of thanks and prayers of atonement to Kynareth.

She felt restless, but in an indefinable way. It wasn't the same sensation she felt when she spent too many days in one location; she was very familiar with that vague wanderlust that plagued her whenever she considered setting down roots. Lilia was unsettled because she felt that she had no direction, no goal to which she was striving towards. The Gods had gone quiet; she'd not felt anything since their push to join the Arena, and she wondered just why that was.

A slight shiver ran through her despite the radiant heat of the golden sunshine. The thought of her arrogant foolishness, and the high price she should have paid for it, was not something she'd yet come to terms with. While Hanibal and Raminus had been delighted by her defeat of Mannimarco, laughing heartily as she gave them a very light version of the events at Echo Cave, she didn't feel that she'd earned the praise they'd given her. Yes, the King of Worms was dead, yes, she'd been the reason behind it, but she couldn't accept that it was any particular talent or skill of hers that had caused his demise. If anyone should be praised it should be Hanarai; the ancestor guardian had saved her life.

Her near death experience at the hands of Mannimarco had caused her to reconsider the way she conducted herself. If she continued on her haughty path, keeping everyone at arms length and trying to maintain a mystery about herself, she was convinced it would lead to her ruin. While talking with Traven and the new Arch Mage she'd made a concerted effort to speak freely and candidly with them about her past. Her training was nothing that she should feel ashamed of, and she regretted that she hadn't taken the time to communicate with the two men before everything had deteriorated so badly. Perhaps Raminus would have listened more to her warnings and advice, and perhaps she would have realized that Hanibal Traven was not any sort of fool at all. As long as it didn't jeopardize her life she wanted to start trying to trust people again.

She felt almost naked as she walked along the highway dressed only in chainmail for protection. It had taken quite a bit of time to peel off her crushed armour; she didn't want to have to replace any more pieces. The cuirass had two large dents in it on the back where she'd been pressed against the claw shaped rocks. Every piece had been flattened or bent out of shape in one way or another and she was sure Fjotreid was not going to be happy with what had happened to his handiwork. It would probably take longer than a day to repair it all.

After she'd finally healed and extricated herself from her crumpled armour Lilia had realized that she was trapped on the circle of rock with the dead body of the King of Worms. His staff, a wicked creation, was lying on the stone altar. It was claimed that it had the power to reanimate dead bodies to serve the whims of the wielder. Raminus had agreed to have it destroyed; no good could come from keeping it. At least Lilia hadn't needed to worry about the dead Necromancers she'd left scattered throughout the cave; with Mannimarco's death there was no longer the threat that they'd spontaneously re-emerge as zombies.

Not seeing any other way out Lilia had wrapped up the body with her cloak and grabbed the staff before teleporting back to her shack on the waterfront. It had been a painful wait but she hadn't gone to see the council right away. After the intensely draining battle the need for blood had been overwhelming. Just before dawn the residents of the waterfront had finally returned to their homes and Lilia had crept out to feast on Puny Ancus. She'd discovered that if she healed him as she drank then it was far easier to satisfy her thirst without worrying about killing the little Imperial. Occasionally she contemplated leaving him a large sum of septims in gratitude for his unknowing contributions to her continued unlife but her practical side vetoed the idea; if he had enough gold he'd probably stop sleeping outside, and then she'd have to find another source of blood.

After that she'd slept for almost an entire day. By the time she woke up the early morning sun was again in the sky. Fortunately the residents of the waterfront were indoors when she emerged with the covered figure of Mannimarco on her shoulder and his evil staff in her hands. She'd walked across the surface of Lake Rumare to the Arcane University; as it was she'd had to do some fast talking to make it past the Battlemages posted at the gates. She couldn't imagine what would have happened if she'd encountered patrolling guards while moving through the city carrying a dead mer on her shoulder; she certainly had no desire to ever return to the Imperial prison.

The high stone walls of Bruma came into view and she smiled at the sight. Lilia had not wanted to stay in the Imperial City, Traven was right; she had no desire for fame. The story of her defeat of Mannimarco would soon spread throughout the Mages Guild and probably even some of the citizenry would hear about it. Bruma was such a quiet town, with such a small guild hall, that she hoped that maybe for a little while she could avoid the stares and questions that would inevitably follow. At least she'd managed to talk Raminus out of a statue or a portrait to commemorate her victory, though she hadn't vetoed the idea of a small statue of Hanarai. She'd introduced the wild hare to the awed men and had been very amused by the reverent way in which they'd regarded her. If there was any way that the story could be told without even including Lilia she would have happily let Hanarai take all of the glory.

She'd been wrong about Traven. Lilia realized now that she'd assigned false motives to the poor man and had been so quick to judge him that she'd made him into something he wasn't. For someone who didn't want to be judged she sure did exactly that far too easily. The Breton had been very gracious about her apologies for her rude behaviour. Raminus' attitude towards her seemed to soften considerably during their long chat. She'd also apologized for her erratic interactions with him. Lilia hoped that she and the new Arch Mage could perhaps one day be friends; they certainly were going to be together far more frequently now that they were both members of the council. They hadn't needed Maranique's presence to form a plan for changes that were to be implemented throughout the guild; they had the two votes necessary for a decision to be made. They'd both agreed that for the time being they'd leave the other seats of the council vacant until the guild was in better internal order. Political maneuverings and Caranya's treachery had left it very vulnerable to dissention; it did need some decisive leadership for a change. She suspected that Raminus also didn't want to be hampered as Hanibal had been by traitorous and stubborn council members. Lilia still hadn't revised her opinions about Maranique, Irlov, and Caranya. She was confident in her original label of fools, though each was a fool in their own way. At least she'd never need to deal with Irlov again; she'd teleported away from the Imperial rather than incinerate him on the spot, which is what both her violent temper and the dark snake within her had been urging her to do.

Lilia waved at the Imperial soldier as he turned his horse around and made his way past her, retracing his route back to the Imperial City. She walked through the cobblestone streets of Bruma to Hammer and Axe. As she'd expected Fjotried was not happy with the state of her armour but he said that he'd be able to fix it. Much to her delight he told her that it would all be ready for her tomorrow, though it would cost quite a bit of gold. She wasn't at all concerned about the money; her work with the guilds and in the arena paid well and she rarely bought anything. She already had armour and a good weapon, and her clothes were lasting much longer now. Thoronir was still making a profit off of her; her only constant expenditures were the costly ebony arrows she wouldn't do without and her special orders. The mer was now under standing instructions to have a selection of bread and sweetrolls delivered fresh from Skingrad each week. If she ever became mortal again Lilia wondered just what her newfound addiction would do to her physique. Even Methredhel had become somewhat more lush under the constant parade of pastries that Lilia now offered with tea; Armand had actively encouraged the practice. Every now and then he'd visit with the two of them in her little shack on the waterfront. He still advised Lilia to start stealing again but she managed to change the topic every time. Much as she wanted to be more open there were still areas where she considered secrecy vital and her continuing membership in the Thieves Guild was one of them. She occasionally toyed with the idea of getting expelled but she was worried that the Grey Fox would then try to blackmail her with her past, despite Armand's assertions that the guildmaster would never do so.

Moving through Castle Bruma she was pleased that nobody was paying any particular attention to her; her battle with the King of Worms was not yet common knowledge. She found the jailor's desk empty and the metal door to the dungeons open. Judging by the faint citrus scent she knew who she'd find down there; Carius was almost as addicted to oranges as she was to sweetrolls. Lilia smiled as she walked down to join him; she really enjoyed spending time with the guard. Not only was he nice and funny but he was a moral man with a clear sense of purpose. It made her feel a bit better about the world to know that there were such people in it and she took comfort in his goodness. She used to think that she was good, but she wasn't so sure anymore. Perhaps only parts of her still were, and Lilia hoped that somehow being around Carius would make them stronger, better able to handle the evil serpent that moved far too freely through her mind.

The Imperial was seated at the table in the middle of the room and hadn't heard her approach. She magically pulled the book out of his hands to startle him; she'd been trying very hard to instill in him the need to always have a detect life spell active. She'd taught him the one that she used. Unlike most it wasn't restricted to one's field of vision; using advanced mysticism techniques it expanded to include everywhere around the caster, allowing them to detect those who were beside or behind them. One of the reasons that Divayth Fyr had so quickly decided to work with her was the fact that she'd been using such a spell when she'd met him; with her inability to see the world she'd adapted it without considering that it was at all an unusual thing to be able to do. Apparently it had been. She hadn't found all mysticism magics as natural to learn and adapt though.

"Lilia! I haven't seen you in ages." Carius gave her a smile and she couldn't believe her eyes. The guard was half-shaven; one side of his face had a thick growth of stubble and the other was completely smooth. She laughed at the sight and he sighed. "Captain Burd's idea of punishment; I'm not allowed to fix it until tomorrow."

"Punishment? Why would you need to be punished?" She couldn't imagine the guard getting into trouble on his own. As a result of her bad influence, yes, but not on his own.

"I tried to heat the water in the ceramic basin to make shaving less unpleasant. I sort of heated it too fast and broke the bowl. Captain Burd docked me enough pay to replace it and told me that I was to look like this all day as a reminder not to mess around with magic in his barracks." Carius looked somewhat sheepish at the tale.

"Carius Runellius of the City Watch, just what have I told you repeatedly about practicing magic?"

"Don't do it on anything that could leave a mark. And stop calling me that, you sound like my mother."

"I know. That's why I call you that in the first place. Here, I've got a present for you. First crop from the Summerset Isles; I bet you've never tasted anything like it before." Lilia sat down beside him and pulled a cloth bag filled with oranges from her pack. She always felt a little guilty that she hadn't gotten him a Saturnalia gift.

"Thank you." Carius quickly peeled one and offered her a piece, which she happily accepted. She closed her eyes as she bit into the juicy orange; the produce the High Elves grew was very expensive but worth it. They used magical methods to farm; like the Telvanni they used magic in almost all of their daily tasks. It was a very practical application of magicka and Lilia tried to emulate it; not only did it make life easier but it helped to refine her abilities.

"Wow. It tastes like an orange should taste, if that makes any sense. Thank you." He gave her a smile and she again snickered at his odd appearance. "So what have you been up to lately? You haven't been by in almost two weeks."

"Oh, I've been having tea with the Count of Skingrad and fighting the King of Worms." She replied lightly. As she expected Carius laughed heartily at her words. Nobody ever seemed to believe her when she spoke the truth, yet they always seemed to believe her lies. It was such an odd paradox but she occasionally made use of it. If she didn't tell the guard about her experiences she was sure he'd be hurt to learn it secondhand from J'Skar. "And what about you. How is the lovely Lyra? Why aren't you spending your day off with her?"

Carius stopped laughing and sighed. "Lyra. I don't know what to do about that woman. She's possessed. She's absolutely insatiable. Morning, noon, and night it's always the same, her constant demands and pestering."

"Ew. Don't make me silence you." Lilia interrupted him and was surprised at his curious glance.

"No! I'm not talking about that." He shook his head. "Poetry. It's all she cares about. Reading it, writing it, reading it to me, me reading it to her. It's driving me mad. And the worst part is that her poetry is terrible. It hurts my ears when I have to listen to it."

"It can't be that bad."

"It is." He cleared his throat and stood up. Spreading his arms wide he started reciting it in a melodramatic tone. "When first I met you I did see / That certainly 'twas meant to be / And on this gentle moonlit night / I think of thee and thine sweet light / Like kittens paws and bergamot petals / I'm sure that you will never nettle…"

"Stop it. Stop it right now." Lilia let lightning arc back and forth betweens her hands as she tried to look menacing; the effect was somewhat ruined by her loud laughter. It really was terrible drivel. Perhaps Lyra could publish it in the _Black Horse Courier_.

"Are you sure you don't want to hear the one about the lonely troll? I sad and lonely / Oh woe is poor me / None to talk to / Only pain true…"

"Ow!" Lilia's small shock spell had been reflected back at her; Carius must have been practicing his reflect spell shield. While she was pleased at his improvement she wasn't pleased that he hadn't stopped reciting such horrid poetry. She stood up and magically pulled a mop handle through the air into her waiting hands. "The spell doesn't work against physical attacks, so I'm giving you one last chance."

"Fine!" He held up his hands and sat back down, his eyes never straying from the improvised wooden staff. "I'm sick of poetry. Though at least I know what to give her for Heart's Day. Why does love have to be so complicated anyway? I don't even know if I love her. I should know that, shouldn't I?"

"I don't think I'm the right person to ask." She shook her head as she sat back down at the table, sending the mop handle magically back over to join its brethren.

"Really?" He studied her for a while. "Haven't you ever bothered with that stuff women put on their faces? I'm sure you could be attractive if you just had a little colour. Surely you must have had some fun in your youth."

"Do you compliment Lyra like that? Because if you do I'm fairly sure I know why she torments you with such painful poetry." Lilia did still have some traces of vanity. She didn't like his reference to her youth; she wasn't that old.

"No, I just mean I'm sure you haven't always wandered around looking like that. By Malacath's horny toenails, you know what I mean. You must have had some experience with romance in your life."

She giggled at his frustration and his choice of curse. "I know what you mean. And yes, there was a time when I was very vain and I did use that 'stuff' on a daily basis, and yes, I was considered attractive, at least I was told so. But I wouldn't say that my past history qualifies me as any sort of expert on love. Other subjects, maybe, but not love."

"Haven't you ever been in love?"

"Not in the way you're referring to, no." Lilia was sure that she'd never felt that incredible attachment to someone that would make her want to spend the rest of her life with him.

"And you never had anyone fall in love with you? You must have broken at least one heart."

"Once, yes. And I think it broke mine more than it did his." She tried hard not to let sadness overwhelm her. It still hurt to think about Vicente.

"I'm sorry. Let's talk about something else; I'll figure out what to do about Lyra." Carius could tell that she was now rather uncomfortable with their current topic.

"Where's Jorundr?" Lilia suddenly realized that the Nord wasn't where he was supposed to be; she'd had a brief moment of panic that he'd overheard their conversation.

"That's right, you haven't been here since he got his new job." Carius pulled out another orange.

"New job? Has he been released early? I thought he still had until the end of the month." She was very confused.

"He does. Apparently it was the Countess' idea; she must know you are trying to train him for guard work. He is now acting as her personal bodyguard, unpaid, of course."

"Brilliant. Narina is absolutely brilliant." Lilia was amazed at the Countess' ingenuity. The sudden spurt of juice that almost hit her in the eye made her focus on the orange that was floating over the table; Carius had been trying to peel it with magic. Lilia stood up and pulled two mop handles into the middle of the room with telekinesis. She tossed one roughly at Carius as she twirled the other around in her hands.

"Carius Runellius of the City Watch, I realize I have no choice but to beat it into you that you are not to practice magic on anything that could leave a mark; including produce! Now prepare yourself, for I am not kind, and I am not merciful." She was glad to hear him laugh as he assumed a defensive position; it was nice that she no longer scared him. He really was a good friend.


	62. Chapter 62: Tea Parties

"Armand, you better get her off me or you'll need to find a new girlfriend, because your current one is about to die. Ow!" Armand quickly moved forward and tugged Methredhel back; the little Bosmer was a whirlwind of fists and feet. The mer was very unhappy at Lilia right now and the delivery methods of her friends. Lilia wished that she'd put her armour back on; she'd teleported into her house wearing only her robe. Being attacked by an enraged mer had not been something she'd expected when she'd stepped out her front door.

Yesterday Lilia had occupied her time with Carius until Jorundr had returned rather late, at which point she'd chatted with both of them until they'd kicked her out to get some sleep. She'd then gone to Olav's Tap and Tack and had spent the wee morning hours with Olav, Ongar, and a couple of other Nord customers listening to the men's drunken chatter. Occasionally they'd sung drinking songs and she'd joined in when they'd started _The__Lonely Farmer's Daughter and her Magic Carrot, _which took twice as long as usual to complete since the group kept repeating verses, confused as to which parts they'd already sung. She'd managed to wait until Hammer and Axe opened the next morning before returning to Fjotried. He'd done an excellent job of repairing the damaged metal. The blacksmith had insisted on trying to teach her basic repairs since her armour seemed to suffer in most unusual ways. He'd given her an iron shield and a repair hammer and had tried to show her how to knock out the dents. Lilia had actually begun to think that perhaps she could learn the skill as she'd happily hammered away at it. Just before she'd finished a slightly too hard strike on the corner of the shield had sent it flying across the room and out the Nord's front window. She'd paid to replace it and had slunk away in embarrassment, grateful that no one had been injured by the wayward shield.

The frost atronach who was the source of Methredhel's current anger held out a folded piece of parchment to Lilia. She took it from the elemental and watched it walk south, into Lake Rumare. So that's how he'd sent it without it being destroyed by patrolling legion soldiers. The Dark Elf was clever.

She looked back over to Methredhel, who was currently being held a few feet in the air by the Thieves Guild doyen. "It's gone. Now will you calm down? It wasn't even a daedra."

"Put me down!" Methredhel was now busy swatting Armand's arms. Lilia wasn't sure if she was doing it teasingly or seriously; whenever she felt that she had a tendency to violence she thought of her dear friend on the waterfront. While Methredhel was a delightful companion she really did have a short fuse.

"Lilia! You're alive!" The released mer was now hugging the bewildered woman tightly.

"Why wouldn't I be alive?"

"They say the King of Worms has been killed by the new Master Wizard. They also say that you're the new Master Wizard. Nobody's seen you in days; she thought that meant that you'd died in the process." Armand explained the Bosmer's concerns. The mer was currently tugging Lilia's left glove off.

"You said it was a tattoo you got in Anvil." Methredhel smacked Lilia on the arm.

"I wasn't going to go around telling everyone that I'd gotten tangled up with a bunch of Necromancers. Now will you keep your hands off of me?" She was actually rather touched at the mer's concern. It was nice to be missed. "Come on in and I'll tell you all about it." She motioned for the two to join her in her small house.

As she prepared tea and put out the last of the remaining baked goods Lilia looked around her little shack. It was very cozy; the furnishings were comfortable and she loved the colours of the cloth hangings on the walls. She started a small fire in the fireplace and watched the light dance across the wood floor. For a while she'd considered abandoning her house after her encounter with Audens Avidius. She'd lost all control of herself; she hadn't been in a good frame of mind to begin with, and to discover him here, in her sanctuary, had set her right off. The remembrances of how she'd behaved still bothered her, but she'd decided to remain. She wasn't about to let ghosts from the past drive her out, away from her friends, away from the only place she considered to be somewhat of a home rather than just a place to stay.

"Are you sure we can speak freely in here?" Armand was still hesitant about her new spell despite her reassurances. For a half-Breton he wasn't very versed in magic; he tended to only use illusion spells to make his shadowy career safer.

"Yes. Why?"

"I've got a job for you. You're the only one who can do it; you're the only one that doesn't have a…reputation."

Lilia narrowed her eyes at him. She wasn't pleased to note Methredhel looking nervous. What was going on?

"I told you, I'm not working for the guild anymore. So, let me tell you about Mannimarco…" She replied lightly.

"Yes you are. I know you stole the staff of Hrormir to get me out of trouble. Thank you." Armand gave her a sincere smile.

Lilia shot a sharp look at Methredhel; for once the mer appeared almost meek. "I'm sorry. I had to tell him; he wouldn't stop scolding me for doing something so risky."

Armand was now the recipient of her angry stare. "Who else knows?" She asked harshly.

"Just the Grey Fox." The doyen put his arms up in a defensive posture; she guessed it was instinctual as a result of his dealings with Methredhel.

"I can't believe this. Methredhel, would you care to help me demonstrate just how I killed the King of Worms?" Lilia let magical flames roll over her hands.

"Lilia! Calm down. Nobody else knows. I've told you, stop worrying about the Grey Fox. He would never betray you." Armand's voice was commanding and Lilia let the flames die. Much as she wished to she wasn't about to roast her best friend. Her best friend's boyfriend though, that was a different matter.

"What is it? What's the job?" She figured she might as well hear him out first.

"Something that I think you'll like. It might not be as glamourous as battling Necromancers, but it will make the waterfront a better place." As Armand spoke Lilia eventually sat down at the table and began pouring tea. She thought about the proposition from every angle before deciding that she'd do it. She really did like the idea and accepted the job, with the strictest instructions that nobody outside of the room was to know about her involvement with it. Armand and Methredhel happily agreed; they both seemed rather relieved that she was no longer coated in magical fire.

"Aren't you at least going to read your note to find out who sent an atronach to stomp around your front door? What does it say?" Methredhel was curiously eyeing the parchment on the table; Lilia had completely forgotten that there would probably be something written on it. She opened it up and chuckled.

"It's an invitation to a Telvanni tea party."

* * *

The Dunmer was lying on the cold stone floor, clutching his sides while tears streamed down his face. His laughter was mingled with exclamations of pain; he'd just heard Lilia's tale of her battle with Mannimarco and Hanarai's involvement. She sipped her tea and leaned back into the comfortable armchair, watching the spectacle of a powerful Telvanni Wizard rolling on the floor with laughter. It was certainly not something that one often saw.

She'd forgiven Fathis; Lilia had come to realize that even for an immortal time was still too precious to bother holding a grudge, especially against someone she considered to have saved her life. She doubted that she'd ever have thought of summoning Hanarai if it hadn't been for the wizard's words. And she also missed him; she hadn't visited him since the second week of the New Year.

"Ow. Ow." Fathis was sending restoration magic into his pained muscles as he pulled himself back up into the armchair. The mer sent a wave of magical heat to dry his face. "Ow."

"I knew you'd enjoy the story." She watched Fathis breathe deeply, trying to calm himself.

"The ending, yes. But I have to admit, I'm not at all pleased that you chose to run off and face Mannimarco alone without letting the guild know where he was or asking for help. You're incredibly lucky to still be alive." He scolded her gently.

"I know. It was a foolish mistake."

"Whatever possessed you to do such a thing?"

Lilia hesitated. She certainly couldn't tell the mer that she'd been convinced that it was the will of the Gods. "It was a lapse in judgment. I won't do it again."

"Good. So are you still mad at me for talking to Janus about you?"

"How did you know about that?" She was surprised at his question; she'd hoped that he hadn't noticed that she'd stopped coming by for lessons.

"I visit him at least once a month. He warned me that you might be a bit…irritated."

"That was nice of him." She replied dryly.

"You don't care for the Count? I'm surprised. He's quite a good friend of mine."

"How can you be friends with someone like him?" Lilia couldn't believe it; she thought Fathis had better taste.

"A vampire? I fail to see how his disease makes any difference."

"That's very open-minded of you but I don't mean his vampirism. I mean someone so manipulative and ruthless." She really didn't trust the Count. To her surprise Fathis laughed at her comments.

"Do you forget that I grew up with the Telvanni? Janus is a far more noble manipulator than the ones that I knew, and he's completely trustworthy. Besides, he also has the best tea I've ever tasted. Too bad he's so secretive; I can't get him to tell me where it comes from." The Dark Elf almost seemed to pout. Lilia laughed at the sight.

"How did you meet him?" She was rather curious as to how the vampire and the Dunmer had become acquainted.

"I actually met him just after the attack. The guild's best healers were trying to reverse the disease but it was already too late; they were both vampires. I didn't get to know him well then, but once I became the Court Wizard of Bravil I learnt that one of my unofficial duties is to keep his disease a secret. During the time after the Emperor's return from Jagar Tharn's imprisonment there was a lot of political maneuvering happening within Cyrodiil and I was the one who would go to Skingrad to speak with Janus. The friendship developed over time."

"They? You said they were both vampires."

"The Count and his wife, Countess Rona Hassildor of Skingrad."

"He's married? What happened to his wife?" Lilia couldn't understand; she'd not noticed any other unwavering figures in the Count's apartments.

"Yes. It's a sad tale. While Janus was able to adapt to his new situation Rona apparently was not. From what he told me she became depressed and stopped feeding, eventually slipping into a coma. I didn't speak much with her, but she seemed to be a very gentle woman and I can see how she would be unable to handle the new requirements of her condition. Janus loved her greatly; he once told me that she had been his softer side. It's a shame."

Lilia couldn't think of anything to say. If what she guessed was correct then Count Hassildor had asked her to get a cure for his wife. Such a potion would end her suffering; Lilia felt a great sympathy for the vampire. She was probably one of the few people on Nirn who could possibly understand what it had cost him to make the decision to ask for her aid. Perhaps there was some good in the man. She still wouldn't trust him though.

"So tell me, have you at least been practicing? I think it's finally time you learnt how to make a real atronach." Fathis was giving her a familiar Telvanni grin and she smiled back. It was nice to be behind the stone walls of his old fort once more.


	63. Chapter 63: A Pet's New Pet

Why did it always have to be an abandoned house? Why couldn't it be a cozy little cottage tucked away in a quiet glade, surrounded with ivy and deer? Lilia frowned at the weathered grey building. She no longer trusted any abandoned or cursed properties, and the house in the middle of Anvil was no exception.

Armand had given her the task; apparently the Grey Fox had specifically requested that she be the one to do it. While he and Methredhel had considered it an honour Lilia had not felt the same way. She still didn't care for the leader of the Thieves Guild, but she'd decided to trust Armand. He certainly hadn't betrayed any nervousness when he'd explained the task, so if it was some sort of trap he wasn't in on it. Despite her misgivings she'd accepted the job; it had been too juicy to turn down.

The Grey Fox had decided that Hieronymus Lex was getting to be too much of a nuisance to the waterfront residents. Countess Milona Umbranox of Anvil had a position for her Captain of the Guard available and the Grey Fox wanted Lex assigned to the post. Lilia wondered why he didn't like the Countess very much; she couldn't see any other reason that he'd inflict Hieronymus on her. She was still sore that the Watch Captain had fooled her so well; she really had thought him a good man. Lilia noted that her judgment seemed to be off lately.

In order to accomplish the task Watch Captain Lex needed to be recommended in glowing terms to the Countess, who had made inquiries with Giovanni Civello as to who would be a suitable candidate. The Imperial Legion commander had replied but Dairihil, the Countess' steward, had intercepted the note. The Bosmer had kept the letter hidden from the Countess for her own reasons; the rumours were that she was trying to get her cousin the post instead, but Millona was insistent that she get a reply from the Imperial City before naming the new Captain. As a result there was a stalemate with nobody being named to the position.

According to Armand the list was hidden in the desk in the steward's office. Lilia hadn't asked him how he knew this; she didn't want to know. After a pleasant trip through the countryside, which was waking up again after its winter slumber, Lilia had arrived in Anvil. She'd gone around the outside of the town and had walked invisibly across the water and into the Castle. It made her think of when she used to move about unseen on contracts and she didn't like the reminder of her former life. She preferred not to move invisibly unless necessary, but stealing from a Countess' steward was something she felt warranted it.

The instructions had been accurate and she found herself alone in the office. It was very early in the morning and the Castle was still asleep except for the occasional guard that wandered the halls. The desk hadn't been magically locked and Lilia had been able to use her spell to open it. The letter had been right where Armand had said it would be and she snatched it before moving back out into the town.

The next step was to get a forgery made that listed Lex as the top candidate. Lilia had smirked as she'd read the letter; Giovanni didn't care much for the Imperial either. Armand had told her that she'd meet a master forger in the abandoned house in the middle of town. She frowned once more; there hadn't been any way to do this without a face to face meeting with the mystery man. Lilia sighed softly and knocked on the door. It wouldn't do to break in on a thief; they tended to get rather mad about such things.

The purple figure inside made his way down the stairs and opened the door. Lilia stepped in and let her invisibility spell lapse, replacing it instantly with a chameleon spell. Just because she had to talk to him didn't mean he needed to see her face. The grey haired Imperial snorted and closed the door, motioning for her to follow him up the untrustworthy looking stairs. Standing in the small room on the upper floor she took a good look at him. He wasn't a young man, and he had the most unusual eyes she'd ever seen. Instead of being tilted up like a mer's, they slanted down so dramatically he almost looked cross-eyed as a result. As she made this observation she was aware of a sudden pain in her head. Lilia closed her eyes and looked away; there was some sort of powerful illusion enchantment on the man and her brain felt as though magic was trying to erase his image from her mind. It wasn't pleasant.

"Where's the list?" The man asked very gruffly. Lilia held out the paper without opening her eyes.

"500 septims." He grunted at her. She cursed in her mind; she couldn't count out money when she couldn't see it. She moved over to the desk pushed against the wall and began pulling out random septims from her coin purse, making sure to look only at the coins in front of her. Eventually she'd counted out the full amount; the Imperial was standing behind her with his arms crossed in impatience.

"Come back tomorrow." He barked at her. Lilia could hear that it was a dismissal and she quickly retreated back down the staircase and out into the town.

She stood in the centre of town, smelling the salty scent of the sea, trying to figure out how to waste a day away. Lilia pulled out her map and looked at the markings; the one west of Skingrad caught her eye. She smiled brightly and headed off to the Mages Guild. She had a purchase to make.

* * *

The sun was high overhead as she stood in front of the tall statue of a beautiful woman. The figure was posed with her hands clasped tightly in front of her, one shapely leg peaking out from her skirt. The Breton dressed in a brown robe eyed her curiously as she lay the ectoplasm on the shrine to Meridia. Lilia leant forward and whispered softly.

"You know who I am. What would you have of me?"

The voice of the Daedric Prince filled her head. "By the detritus of the profane, I am brought forth. And by your offering, you have made the profane your interest. The undead are foul, unnatural things. Some of our rivals take pleasure in these abominations. Not Meridia. I wish these creatures destroyed. Hidden behind a door, deep in Howling Cave, are necromancers. They rob graves for the materials to raise their undead armies. Find these necromancers. Destroy them and their abominations. Do this, and earn the gratitude of Meridia."

Lilia stood up and frowned at the statue. Again she wondered if the Daedra and the Aedra had the same warped sense of humour. Mannimarco's death had not stopped the practice of Necromancy, nor caused the sudden demise of all of his followers. They were still an ever present threat to the people of Tamriel. But at least Lilia had experience handling them. Too much experience for her tastes.

The journey to Howling Cave was quick; rather than walk through Skingrad Lilia skirted around the city walls passing a large field that had been freshly plowed, the furrowed earth awaiting planting. She didn't want to interact with any of the town's residents; she couldn't wait until fresh gossip replaced the current batch that unfortunately featured her recent activities. Thaurron, the little Bosmer who lived at the Anvil Mages Guild, had been awestruck by her presence at the guild hall as she'd purchased the ectoplasm from Felas Relan. The mer had asked her if she could perhaps cure Sparky for him; the pet imp was a vibrant shade of red but suffering no ill effects from what Lilia could see. She hadn't been pleased by his request; she may be a Master Wizard but she wasn't a Divine. Thaurron's admiration had made her distinctly uncomfortable and she had quickly taken her leave from the guild hall after politely speaking to Carahil. It was such a strange concept, Lilia was now one of the highest ranking members of the guild. She felt that she should try and conduct herself in a somewhat professional manner around her fellow members. Carahil had been very polite but Lilia wasn't sure if the Altmer had been studying her out of curiosity or jealousy. She still liked the High Elf; she considered Anvil to be the best run guild hall in the province.

It wasn't difficult to find Howling Cave. A few mounds of dirt, looking suspiciously like freshly dug graves, were ranged in front of the cave opening. A brazier lit with the blue flames that Necromancers preferred burned brightly at the entrance. Lilia counted the figures inside the cave. Meridia's task wasn't going to be easy; there were quite a few bodies moving around in there in what looked like a small space. Lilia pulled off her gloves and took out a small leather pouch. Reaching in she grabbed a pinch of fire salts. She breathed deeply and focused hard, trying to make sure she forgot nothing of the spell. The salts evaporated from her fingers and the sudden crackling noise in front of her let her know that she'd successfully created a fire atronach. Her last visit with Fathis had been extremely productive; she'd even managed to prevent the frost atronach she'd created at his fort from cavorting, though she'd done a little cavorting around the ice elemental herself much to Fathis' amusement. He did seem to bring out her goofy side and she always felt much more relaxed when she left the wizard's tower. For a powerful Telvanni mage he sure did enjoy laughing.

Lilia sent the atronach ahead of her into the cave and followed along invisibly. The light from the elemental provided more than enough illumination. The shouts of the Necromancers at the bottom of the tunnel made Lilia feel nervous before she reminded herself that they couldn't see her. At the noise her atronach rushed forward; perhaps she'd made it a bit too aggressive. She was still working on that aspect of the spell.

The pained shouts of the Necromancers and the sudden golden flashes made Lilia hurry her pace. Summoned daedra now crowded the small cave even more. Her atronach was busy tossing fireballs at the Dark mages; the one thing Lilia had made sure of was that her creation 'knew' that the conjurers should be attacked before the conjured. Drawing back her bow she aimed her arrow at the Bosmer she guessed was responsible for the dremora mage that was currently sending a stream of ice into her atronach. The arrow flew through the crowded cave and she was pleased to see the daedric mage disappear. Lilia moved along the wall of the cave; the Necromancers now knew that someone else was in there but they didn't seem to be able to detect her. A stream of lightning and a large pillar of flame harmlessly attacked the air she'd last occupied. Lilia readied another arrow.

It felt almost too easy but Lilia had no pity for the Dark mages. She would always have a burning hatred for them and their practices. Her atronach was now smoldering rather than flaming but the small cavern was cleared. A tall figure moved invisibly up from a lower tunnel and Lilia found her muscles twitching in agony; unlike the others this one had been able to see her. She'd felt so confident she'd lulled herself into a false sense of security allowing Falcar to surprise her with a strong blast of shock magicka.

Her atronach charged forward at the traitorous Altmer. To Lilia's intense displease he conjured up a fresh frost atronach in response; they were more powerful than flame atronachs but also larger and she hadn't created one because it would never have been able to enter the cave in the first place.

"We meet again, pet." His voice was dripping with disdain at the woman on the floor in front of him.

Falcar smirked at Lilia as she tried to roll away while sending a wave of healing magic into her pained body, but his smile quickly fell when her flame atronach continued to run towards him. He didn't realize that hers was not summoned from Oblivion; the conjured atronachs from the daedric planes attacked whatever was closest and he'd expected the arrival of the frost elemental to distract her own. He screamed as the flame atronach grabbed him in a painful embrace. Lilia could smell his flesh sizzling under the elemental's burning touch. Without thinking she yelled out to her atronach.

"Duck!" To her amazement the glowing figure did just that, allowing the frost atronach's ball of ice to fly into Falcar's surprised face. The frost atronach disappeared in a shower of sparks as Falcar dismissed it to better focus on the fight. The High Elf was a powerful mage indeed.

Lilia sent a tentative blast of magical lightning into him and was pleased when she didn't started twitching in response. Her atronach was once more grabbing tightly onto the Necromancer and he was busy trying to dismiss it back to Oblivion. He still didn't realize that her atronach couldn't be dismissed, except by herself. She sent a powerful stream of shock magicka into him but stopped when her atronach began jerking along with the Altmer. Oops.

Changing tactics Lilia sent a fireball at the High Elf. She was pleased to see her atronach unaffected by the flames; she'd have to remember not to use other elemental forms of destruction magic around her creatures in future. Falcar was now coating his body in magical ice and Lilia focused on the flames at his feet, trying to force them larger and larger. But she couldn't seem to get the fire to consume him; his own magic was preventing that. Not letting her spell lapse completely she pulled an arrow out of her quiver and slowly aimed it at him. While he was defending himself against both her own magic and the fiery attack of her elemental he wasn't attacking her back and she took her time to aim properly. The ebony shaft struck him right in his disdainful nose and the purple glow from within him quickly died out. A well placed arrow was very effective against Necromancers indeed, Maranique's opinions notwithstanding. Lilia's elemental released the body and stomped back over to its creator; the creature was barely glowing anymore. With a wave of her hand Lilia dismissed the atronach. At least, she tried to. For some reason it didn't work and she tried again. The ash elemental, as it looked to be now, remained in the cave.

Lilia let out a deep sigh and made her way back out into the bright day. She didn't want to but it looked as though she'd have to make a trip to Bravil. She'd obviously done something wrong with her spell. The thought of the laughter and admonitions Fathis would surely heap upon her made her grimace. She'd been so proud of her new talent. Oh well.

The sound of a nearby stream gave her an idea. Lilia ran towards it, her atronach close behind. Not pausing she jumped off the muddy bank and into the cold water. Turning around she wasn't happy to see her elemental standing idly on the bank watching the shivering woman curse heavily in the midst of the frigid water. Pleased by her atronach's innate intelligence, but displeased at her now soaked and freezing armour, Lilia pulled the fire atronach into the lake with a telekinesis spell. A large cloud of steam indicated that she'd finally succeeded in dismissing her creature. Perhaps she'd have a few more lessons with the Telvanni wizard before attempting to do that again.

Lilia made her way back to the shrine squeaking the whole way. Her greaves had not appreciated the bath in the cold stream and protested every time she bent her legs. The Breton at the shrine gave her an even stranger look as she creaked her way back to Meridia's statue. Once more the Daedric Prince's unearthly voice resonated in her mind.

"Well done. Those creatures were an affront to all life, and they have paid the price for their actions. Take this ring and go with my blessing."

A small ring set with a large ametrine appeared on the shrine. Picking it up Lilia pulled off a gauntlet and slipped the ring on her finger. The gasps from Meridia's followers caused her to quickly pull it off again. As per legend the famed Ring of Khajiit conferred increased speed and agility on the wearer, but it also was enchanted with a constant chameleon effect. Lilia certainly didn't want to give people any more reasons to talk about her so she placed the ring securely in her pack. With a sigh Lilia started squeaking her way back to Anvil, hoping to make it back in time to get her armour repaired. The last thing she needed was to be any more distinctive than she already was.


	64. Chapter 64: Face to Face

His royal blue eyes read the note once more before glancing up to the clear sky above. He didn't look angry. If anything he looked sad. He sighed softly and gave her a wry smile.

"Looks like he finally won. Perhaps the Gods will be kind and deliver him to me in Anvil." Hieronymus' voice betrayed the doubt behind his words. "I'm sure Giovanni will be happy with the news."

Lilia had been asked to deliver the Countess' orders to Lex personally and she'd jumped at the opportunity. She tried not to feel guilty; she was supposed to be feeling pleased with herself right now. She still remembered having to heal Puny Ancus after Lex's last incursion into the waterfront. It annoyed her, the way the Watch Captain was behaving so graciously. He was being far too civilized.

"Thank you for delivering the note. I'm sorry to see that the alchemy business is so slow right now; courier work isn't an easy way to make a living. It was good seeing you again Lilia. I should probably leave right away." He nodded politely at her and started walking towards the large gates leading out of the Arboretum.

As she watched his defeated posture she cursed softly. Lilia had initially been very happy to get the Watch Captain reassigned to Anvil; she considered it a small form of revenge for the problems he had caused her friends and neighbours. After receiving the forged note from the stranger in the shack she'd had to travel back to the Imperial City and break into the Imperial Legion Commander's office to seal it with his official seal. Lilia had then journeyed back to Anvil once more and had presented herself as a courier, delivering the note personally to the Countess. Dairihil, the Countess' steward, had been very upset but she'd been discreet; the Bosmer had clearly been confused when Lilia had presented herself for payment at the Countess' behest. It had been a fairly simple job to do by all standards and she understood why she'd been chosen to do it. She couldn't imagine what would have happened had Armand tried to pass himself off as a courier, or even Methredhel. They both had rather unsavoury reputations, which they'd worked hard to earn.

But Lilia couldn't shake the feeling that something wasn't right about her task. Again she wondered just why Lex hadn't been recommended in the first place; the new Imperial Legion Commander was as corrupt as the last one from the reports she'd heard from fellow Thieves Guild members. The Gray Fox should have just had him write a note to the Countess advising her to choose Hieronymus from the start.

"Wait!" She hurried to catch up to him. "If you don't mind, I have business in Anvil. Would you be so kind as to offer me an escort?"

"Of course." He gave her a soft smile; but he still looked unhappy.

She fell into step beside him. "I hope you don't mind me asking, but why would Giovanni be pleased to lose you to Anvil?"

* * *

The small bed looked like heaven to her. Lilia staggered over to it and collapsed on top; satiated after feeding on Puny Ancus. Her mind was whirling. The guilt she felt had been replaced with a sense of acceptance; perhaps it was all for the best. There wasn't anything she could do about it now.

It had been a mistake to trust the Gray Fox. During the long walk to Anvil Hieronymus had explained his presence on the waterfront for both the tax collection and raid in search of the guildmaster. He'd been assigned to be present, but the men had not been his to command. The murderous expression he'd had on his face the last time Lilia had seen him had been his anger and frustration at being made a fool and a scapegoat, not because of any particular dislike of the waterfront residents. He'd been unable to prevent the rough treatment her neighbours had received. Apparently Giovanni Civello played favourites even worse than Adamus Phillida had, and he'd decided that Lex needed to be made into a joke.

By the time they'd reached Anvil Lilia considered the Countess and her guards to be very lucky; her original assessment had been correct. Captain Lex was a very fine man indeed. Anvil's gain was the Imperial City's loss. She'd said goodbye to the kind man and had discreetly teleported back to her house. Feeling upset and thirsty she'd waited until it was safe and had feasted on the little Imperial who slept outdoors near her home.

Lilia closed her eyes and said her prayers to the Nine. As always, she begged for a peaceful night.

She opened her eyes and found herself outside. The night sky above was decorated with bands of beautiful pink light and studded with stars. The world around her was lit with a rosy glow. She was standing on the top of a very large mountain and she gazed at the landscape below. A large shape was moving quickly towards her; she laughed at the sight of the cloud of multicoloured butterflies. Their fluttering wings flashed jewel tones of purple, green, and blue as they came ever closer. She stretched out her arms and closed her eyes, smiling in anticipation of the gentle sensation as they moved over her. But instead of the soft caress of silken wings she felt her skin being scratched as they fluttered closer and closer to her. Her flesh was being torn apart by the swarm of butterflies.

Leaping out of bed she eyed the room. They couldn't see her through the window; it was shut tight and the curtain drawn. Her door was locked. Glancing around she noted with alarm the fireplace. They could get her through there. She tore the mattress off of her bed and shoved it into the ashy firebox, pushing and squeezing until it was tightly jammed in. She spun around the room, watching and listening for the sound of tiny wings.

A purple figure walking around outside caused her to panic. She'd forgotten about her neighbours. She had to warn them, she couldn't let any more people die. Tearing open her door she ran out into the street. Islief was giving her an odd look.

"You have to get inside! Quickly, before they get here!" She was pushing the confused Redguard back towards his house. Why wasn't he running? Why was he resisting? Didn't he know who she was? Foolish mortal, he was being warned by none other than…

"Lilia? What's wrong?" Islief asked her and she froze in shock. She was Lilia. That's who she was. Lilia.

"Guards. I heard there was a raid coming. Bye." Lilia muttered at him as she ran back to her home and shut the door behind her. She coated the room in silencing magic and slid down the door. Hugging her legs to her chest she shivered violently as she looked at the ruined mattress stuffed into the fireplace. It was over an hour before she was able to tame the horror and terror that overwhelmed her. She was going mad, and she finally knew why. She screamed up at the Gods, hatred dripping from every curse and blasphemy that she could think of. What possible reason would have caused them to damn her to this?

* * *

The mounds of snow that lined the road were now brown with dirt, islands of winter surrounded by muddy lakes of spring grass. The weather was beautiful, the sun streaming warm light down onto the world of Nirn below, but Lilia couldn't feel it. She was numb, still frightened by last night's episode. Taking deep breaths she tried to calm herself; with every step she took she was afraid that she'd suddenly lose control of herself again. Being alone was almost as bad as being around people now; she no longer felt safe anywhere.

Anger bubbled through her and she tried to latch on to it, to keep that one emotion steady. It felt as though her ideas and feelings were caught in a maelstrom that she couldn't escape. She pulled up the thought of the Gray Fox again, once more he'd used her. Anger, she had to focus on the anger.

Invisibility cloaked her from the citizens of Bruma as she made her way to Helvius Cecia's small house. There was only one person sitting inside, tucked away downstairs in the warmest section. And it wasn't Helvius; she'd seen the Imperial wander into Olav's Tap and Tack on her way to his home. Glancing around she made sure no one was in sight before trying the door. As expected she found it unlocked.

Maintaining her spell she made her way down the wooden stairs into the cozy sitting room on the lower level. A bright fire crackled in the fireplace, warming the man sitting beside it in a simple wooden chair. He looked over towards the sound of her footsteps. She noticed the unusual blue eyes peeping out from the gray cowl that covered his face.

"You!" She managed to stammer out the word before pain tore through her mind. It felt as though her brain was trying to split in two. Lilia grabbed her head in her hands and sank down the floor, her invisibility spell falling away. Waves of restoration magic did nothing to dull the intense agony.

"You recognize me? That's not possible. How can you recognize me?" From the sound of his gruff voice the Imperial was now standing next to her. Lilia pressed her head to the floor and covered it with her arms, fighting hard to prevent tears. The last thing she wanted was for him to know that she was a vampire.

"What's wrong?" The question was almost an order in its intensity. Lilia focused on her breathing; the carpet she was kneeling on hadn't been cleaned in a long time and the stink of dirt and old food assaulted her nose. She tried to focus on the smell, trying to piece her mind back together. She really wasn't equipped to handle this right now. At the feel of his hands on her upper arm, trying to tug her up, she let a wave of flames coat her body. He cursed and pulled his hands away.

"Tell me, how do you know me?" The Gray Fox was growling at her. Lilia laughed harshly; the whole situation was absurd. At least the agony in her mind was lessening.

"Godsdamned daedric curses!" She swore overly loud to the carpet. It hadn't been any form of illusion magic at all. The Gray Fox, the master forger she'd met in Anvil, was cursed by a Daedric Prince. Judging from the cowl he wore she was fairly sure Nocturnal was responsible for it.

"How in the Nine Hells do you know that? Look at me, damn it!" The Gray Fox was stomping around in front of her.

"No. I can't look at you." She kept her head down and spoke to the smelly rug on the floor. The pacing stopped.

"Even if I take it off?"

"Yes."

He didn't say anything for a while. Lilia maintained her position on the floor and her head started to feel a bit better. He finally spoke again. "My name is Corvus Umbranox."

"The missing Count of ARGH!" Intense pain shot once more through her mind and sparks danced in front of her vision. The curse wasn't working, but the magic still tried to do its task of erasing the Gray Fox's identity from her mind, which was putting up its own resistances. The magical battle being waged in her brain threatened to send her into unconsciousness.

At the sound of his voice as he started to talk once more she hissed at him. "Shut up!"

The Imperial sat down in his chair. It was minutes before she dared speak again; her head still hurt, but the pain was now tolerable.

"Why did you want to see me?" Lilia asked the carpet.

"There is an item I need to help me lift this curse. I want you to get it for me."

She laughed derisively at the dirty rug. "What's the matter, the master thief can't do it himself?"

"Show some respect." His voice held the naturally smug note that all nobility seemed to possess. The observation caused her to curse again; her mind once more pulsed in pain. "How is this possible? Why aren't you affected by the cowl?" He asked impatiently.

"Not affected? Do you think I'm doing this for fun?" She bitterly replied.

"You know what I mean. This shouldn't be."

"No, it shouldn't. I wish it did affect me like everyone else; I'm sure it's a hell of a lot less painful." The stink from the carpet was really starting to get to her. "I think I'll just leave now."

"No!" His intense shout surprised her. He continued in a much quieter, and less haughty, voice. "I need your help. I have to lift this curse. I have to be myself again."

"You don't need my help. Haven't you tried the Divines?"

The Gray Fox chuckled at her question. "The Divines? They can't help me. This is daedric magic."

Lilia thought quickly as she pressed her head against the reeking rug. Perhaps there was a way she could make things better for everyone. "I'll tell you how they can help if you give me the ring." Lilia pulled off her glove and extended her right hand towards the Gray Fox.

"Ring? What ring?" By the sound of his voice she could tell he thought her mad. She felt it an accurate impression nowadays.

"The one you stole from Captain Lex. You give it to me, I'll tell you how to lift your curse."

"And if it doesn't work?"

"Then you can steal it back, since you're the bloody Gray Fox and all." She snarked at him. Her patience was very thin.

"Fine. Take it. Tell me why I'm cursed and how to fix it." She felt a small piece of metal in her hand; it was warm. The guildmaster must have been wearing it; she wasn't too surprised at that. Arrogant bastard. She pulled the ring into her dark cocoon of limbs and used a small light spell to make sure that it was indeed what she wanted. Satisfied she told him what he wished to know.

"Foolish man, do you not understand why you're cursed? You're a daedra worshipper. You've given your soul, and your power, to Nocturnal. As long as she possesses it you will be doomed." Lilia spoke quickly; she really wanted to leave now. Her forehead was starting to get sore from pressing against the rough rug.

"What are you talking about?"

"Did you not think that there would be consequences for choosing to devote yourself to a Daedric Prince? Yes, they can't directly influence the world of Nirn, but by giving your soul to her she can command you, work through you. The only power they have in Tamriel comes from their followers. And when you die your soul shall be hers for eternity, to toy with as she pleases." Lilia answered.

She heard the Gray Fox sigh heavily. He paused for a while before speaking again. "So what can I do?"

"Repent. Truly repent. Go to the chapel and ask the Nine to take you back. Pray at the altar for as long as it takes until they finally bless you. But you have to mean it, truly mean it with all of your heart and soul. The Gods will know if you lie."

"Will that really work?" Disbelief was clear in his words.

"You won't know until you try. Now I'm going to get up and leave. Don't ever come near me again so long as you still have that cowl; there is another way for me to end the curse, and that would be by ending your life. I'm sure the Gods would count it as self defense." Lilia focused her magicka and once more coated herself in a cloak of invisibility. She got up and almost ran out of the house, carefully avoiding the pale blue eyes of Corvus Umbranox, Count of Anvil, Gray Fox, and worshipper of Nocturnal. She made her way up to the castle despite her desire to return home, to feed once again. Lilia decided not to feed until absolutely necessary; feeding led to sleeping, and sleeping to insanity. Once more she tried to focus her fragile mind on the task ahead of her, pushing all thoughts of the man sitting in Helvius Cecia's house firmly away.


	65. Chapter 65: Conclusions

The last juicy segment burst in his mouth as he bit into it and he smiled contentedly. These really were the best oranges he'd ever tasted. Carius pushed open the door that led from the barracks to the jailor's desk while wiping his sticky hand on his uniform. He had to get a new quill and the supplies were kept in the jailor's drawers. Allian was sitting at the desk looking a bit ill. Carius tried not to laugh at the young man's discomfort. Lilia must be visiting Jorundr again.

Deciding to ignore his reports for a little while longer he made his way down to the cell area. Jorundr was sitting at the table across from Lilia, who had her back to the door. Before he could even say a word she greeted him.

"Carius, are you out of oranges already?" She turned around and gave him a mischievous smile.

"You really have a good sense of smell. And no, I've got two left. How did you get them anyway?" He would love to have some more.

"Special order. I'll arrange for a shipment to be sent regularly up to you." She turned back to Jorundr, they were in the middle of a lesson. Carius was finding her subjects increasingly bizarre; dancing was bad enough, but politics?

"And how many Manes are there?" She asked.

"There's only ever one. There is a special alignment of the moons that heralds the birth of the Mane." Jorundr answered without hesitation.

"Very good! You've been studying." Lilia sounded proud. Carius grabbed a chair and pulled it up to the table to join them. He couldn't resist his curiosity.

"Why? Why are you teaching him this?" He asked. She chuckled at his query.

"Let me ask a question of my own. You're in a room with the Countess, King Helseth, and the Mane. Who do you greet first? Jorundr, let him try and figure it out." She waved at the Nord, indicating for him to keep silent. Carius frowned at the question. While the Countess was his employer King Helseth certainly outranked her. But he wasn't sure if the Mane, the ruler of Elsweyr, was of the same or differing ranks as the King of Morrowind.

"King Helseth?" He finally guessed. Lilia shook her head and indicated for Jorundr to speak.

"None of them." The Nord confidently answered.

"Excellent. You're really doing well with this." She praised him gently. "Can you tell me why?"

"Because you don't speak to a Countess, the Mane, or a King first, unless they've invited you into their presence. And it's the herald's job to conduct introductions." Carius gave Jorundr a curious glance. The man certainly had learnt a lot during his stay in the castle dungeons, but Carius still wasn't sure if it would make him a good soldier.

"Fabulous!" She clapped her hands together in delight. Lilia seemed almost too happy for the situation. But she was a strange one, Carius was used to that by now.

The appearance of Tolgan, steward to Countess Carvain, broke up the session. He greeted everyone properly and gently reminded Jorundr that he was to attend the Countess in fifteen minutes before politely taking his leave. Carius was sure that Tolgan would have been able to answer Lilia's question without hesitation.

"Let me help you with your uniform." Lilia said as she stood up and went with Jorundr into the Nord's cell. Carius cast his detect life spell; he really wanted to know just why she needed to help him with his chainmail. That was something anyone could put on without assistance. Her smaller figure seemed to be rummaging through her pack and he watched her put something into the Nord's hand. He couldn't hear what they were whispering, though occasionally he caught snatches of their conversation.

"…you sure?"

"The entire time…don't worry."

"…have to trust you."

"…no choice, do you…"

Carius frowned at the words. If he didn't know any better it sounded like some sort of plot. The appearance of a distinctly nervous Jorundr and a grinning Lilia did nothing to ease his worries. She gave him a pat on the arm and wished him luck before the Nord reluctantly left the dungeon. She settled herself back down at the table still beaming. It reminded him of the time she'd started dancing around the courtyard last year. She could be so strange.

"Are you going to be here tomorrow?" Jorundr was scheduled to be released first thing tomorrow morning. Carius wondered what the man would do with his newfound freedom.

"No. I have other places to be." Lilia frowned at the table in front of them. Her moods seemed to change so rapidly sometimes.

"Lilia, why did you do this? Why did you work with Jorundr?" He'd often wondered what her motivation was for training the Nord. What was she getting out of it?

"You really want to know?" She didn't take her eyes from the table as she sighed. "Because it gave me hope. Hope that a good person can be redeemed, regardless of their past crimes. Hope that there can be a happy ending for those who've made mistakes. And because it kept me grounded. It gave me something to do, something I could look back on and be proud of."

Carius' brows furrowed at her words. Even now she still surprised him by the way she thought and felt things. Her explanations sounded rather sad to him, there was something dark in her past that plagued her. He'd figured out that much. She suddenly looked up and stared intently at him.

"I don't scare you anymore, do I?" She asked.

"No. I'm not at all frightened of you." He scoffed at the question. To his surprise she frowned at the answer and narrowed her eyes a little.

"If you knew any better you would be. But since you don't, let's work on your magic, shall we? I don't know when I'll see you next." She answered softly.

They spent the rest of the afternoon training and practicing. They'd moved on from magical training to weapons training. Lilia was having Carius attack her with his mop handle while she tried to defend with her own. She was very difficult to hit; she could move so fast when she wanted to. He had to wipe his brow as they sparred; he was always amazed that she never seemed to sweat. It had something to do with her Dunmer blood, though he couldn't see any signs of her being a Dark Elf despite her purported ancestor guardian. He still had trouble accepting the stories that she'd gone and battled the King of Worms and survived. While he'd heard all of the details from J'Skar it still seemed an alien concept that this strange alchemist could possibly have done that. Strange Master Wizard, he corrected himself. Just as his stomach started growling for dinner Lilia suddenly dropped her mop handle and turned towards the metal door. Heavy footsteps were running towards it. Jorundr burst into the room, a giant grin on his face.

"Yes?" Lilia was stalking towards him with an expectant air.

"Yes!" Jorundr cried out in reply. To Carius' absolute astonishment Lilia ran forward and jumped into the waiting Nord's arms. As the massive man spun her around in the air Carius caught sight of her delighted expression. It was almost as if she was glowing, the happiness was radiating out of her like a physical force. When Jorundr finally put her feet back down on the ground Carius could contain his curiosity no longer.

"What's going on?" Carius asked Jorundr. He was completely bewildered and half expecting to hear the shouts of angry guards running towards them in pursuit. He was sure Lilia was behind whatever this was. At his question she stepped towards him and held out her hands, indicating for him to come forward.

"Now Carius, I thought we just went over this. You're not to speak first, though I'm sure the future Count of Bruma will excuse you this once."

* * *

They were standing in the courtyard under the canopy of stars; Carius had insisted on walking her out. Lilia was still smiling happily and he was dying of curiosity.

"How long have you known? How did you know?" He asked.

"About the Countess' feelings? Probably as soon as she felt them. Same with Jorundr. And as for how I knew, well, didn't I tell you that dancing was educational when it came to body language?" She winked at him as she replied. Carius just shook his head.

"And you encouraged this?" He couldn't believe that she'd had the audacity to facilitate a romance between the Countess of Bruma and a convicted felon. Lilia's smile disappeared at the question.

"You don't approve? Tell me, at what point can someone be considered good again? Who gets to make that judgment call? You? Do you think Jorundr should be miserable for the rest of his life because of a few thefts? Do his crimes put him beyond redemption?" Her eyes were narrow and she was hissing the questions at him. "Or do you believe that nobility is only inherited through birth rather than through actions?"

"No. Of course not." He was shocked at her sudden vitriol; it reminded him of when they'd first met and she'd been ranting at him about incompetent guards. "I just mean, it's rather unusual."

Her posture relaxed and she smiled faintly. "It's highly unusual, but that doesn't make it wrong. They'll have their share of challenges and not everyone will be accepting of their union. But the Countess has big enough stones for both of them, and Jorundr has built up a fair bit of goodwill with her guards and some of the town's citizens. Do you really think I had Alga teach him how to tell stories or Honmund explain how to find mushrooms just to make him a better guard? I was trying to get him introduced to and on friendly terms with as many people as possible."

"But you told me that it would make him better able to act as an investigator and survive in the wilderness!" Carius ran his hands through his hair. She was so unpredictable he sometimes thought she'd drive him mad.

"And it would have, if things hadn't worked out. I really should be leaving. I'll be back in town for First Planting; I'm certainly not going to miss the wedding for anything. I don't want to think of what the two of them would do to me if I did." Lilia extended her hand to him but quickly pulled it back, instead choosing to give the guard a friendly hug. Her eyes seemed sad when she pulled back. "Two hugs in one day. That's a record for this year. Take care of yourself Carius."

"You too, Lilia." He said quietly to the retreating cloak before him. He stood still, watching her walk away. She was acting even stranger than usual. He wondered what on Nirn had gotten in to her.

* * *

The little glass vial sat mockingly on the wooden table. She frowned and cursed at it, but it didn't cooperate. Frustrated beyond measure she tossed her gauntlet at it, which missed completely and smacked heavily against the wall. Tossing the other one led to the same results.

Lilia reached forward as quickly as she could, intending to take it by surprise, but her hand grabbed nothing but empty air as it shot past the vial. She tried using telekinesis to levitate it towards her, but her spell couldn't seem to connect to the bottle. Grabbing a gauntlet with magicka she tried to use it to pick up the vial, but the gauntlet merely rattled around it above and beside it, never touching the blue glass.

She growled at it, a throaty animal noise of displeasure. Standing she stared up at the ceiling and ranted at the Gods, cursing them and damning them to their own Nine Hells. Reaching to grab it and shove it into her pack she was not at all surprised that this time she took hold of the little glass vial easily. Her arm refused to bring it up to her face or to halt its motion into the depth of her bag to join the other one, despite her desires. She growled once more and stomped out of her home, slamming the door behind her.

She had a cure, a means to become mortal once more, and the Gods still refused to release her from her undead body. It was as she'd expected, and as she made her way west she tried to figure out just what she'd done to earn such damnation.

* * *

The coals glowed red, the embers all that remained of the logs that had been burning brightly under the carved wooden mantle. Fire was a fascination for him; despite his vulnerability to it he never tired of watching it. Janus considered it almost to be like watching life in miniature; the first small flames of youth, the blazing glory of maturity, and the feeble dying glow of old age. At least he never had to worry about that last stage in his own life.

The thirtieth day of Sun's Dawn had finally arrived and he was awaiting a visitor. Nervousness ran through him and he chuckled at it. That was not a feeling he often experienced. Taking his eyes from the fire he brought them down to stare at the small gold ring on his left hand. Gnawing guilt replaced the nervousness and he sighed loudly. This should have been done a long time ago and he chided himself for his selfishness and cowardice.

A soft knocking noise made him look quickly towards the wall. Someone was standing in front of the door to his private quarters and tapping very softly against it. If he wasn't a vampire he'd never have been able to hear it. He smiled wryly as he made his way down the hallway to the entrance; she'd never bothered knocking before.

He opened the door and watched the invisible figure step in, her spell falling away as the door shut behind her. Lilia gave him a soft smile.

"Greetings Count Hassildor. May the Nine bless and protect you and your fair city." She even gave him a small curtsy as she spoke. He resisted the urge to snicker; she could be completely unpredictable at times. It was too bizarre to find her suddenly well-mannered and polite. She'd been so distracted at their last meeting, in which he'd revealed the location of Mannimarco, she'd broken every rule of proper conduct.

"Greetings Master Wizard. I hope the day finds you well." He gave her a small bow.

"Yes, thank you." She answered politely and smiled at him. After a few moments he realized she was actually waiting to be invited up to his salon. Janus really hadn't expected this; he'd figured that after her promotion to council member and her defeat of Mannimarco she'd be even more haughty, egotistical, and infuriating than ever.

"Please, do come up. May I offer you some tea?" With a graceful sweep of his arm he indicated for her to proceed.

"Thank you. Tea would be delightful." He watched her walk in front of him; she was removing her cloak as she went. A blue robe, silk like her other one, was all she wore under it. She hadn't come unarmoured to visit him except for one other occasion. Did she want something else from him?

Lilia stood in front of the sofa and watched Count Hassildor. He suddenly understood she was awaiting his leave to sit down.

"Please, have a seat. I will prepare the tea." He shook his head as he moved over to the buffet. It was going to be very unnatural to interact with her if she kept up her manners. Rather counterintuitive. Bringing the loaded tray back over he found her sitting straight and primly on the sofa. The urge to laugh needed to be suppressed. He was convinced that if he did so she'd start ranting at him again.

As he sat down in his armchair with a small sigh he suddenly realized that she still smelt the same. Sudden worries that she'd failed in her task made him glance at her sharply. She noticed the look but didn't respond; instead she poured out tea for both of them. Lilia offered him a cup with a gentle smile. She was being almost nice to him; Janus was convinced that she was after something.

"Thank you." He took the cup from her outstretched hands. "What news from Melisande?" Perhaps the witch needed more time.

"Everything is finished. I have the cure right here." Lilia reached into her pocket and pulled out a small blue vial. She placed it on the marble table top. Janus couldn't believe that he was looking at a potion that could cure vampirism; after all these years to see it, sitting on the black marble table in front of him, was astonishing. He tore his eyes from it and looked back to her.

"Did you not have Melisande make one for yourself?" She frowned and looked over to the tapestry on the far wall. He could see she was uncomfortable with the question.

"Let's just say that I'll be a vampire for a little while longer and leave it at that." Her words were quiet and bitter. Janus leaned forward and picked up the small vial. It didn't seem to be anything special, but its significance was far greater than its size.

"You're doing the right thing." Her grey eyes were back on him, and he could swear that they were looking at him with kindness as she spoke. "I want you to know that."

He sat frozen in shock and stared back at the vampire who was giving him a small smile. Somehow she knew, and it was a very rare occurrence for him to meet someone who knew more about him than he'd disclosed himself. As they looked at one another he felt a silent understanding pass between them. Somehow she knew and somehow she understood completely. Again he wondered just what the circumstances of her transformation had been.

"Thank you." He said quietly. They sat in silence for a few minutes; neither could think of anything else to say. Janus stood up; he no longer wished to be in this room, surrounded by creature comforts. He was feeling annoyed; he'd delayed this far too long and he still didn't know what Lilia was after. "What do you want?"

"Want?" She seemed to be confused as she stood up to join him. "I don't want anything."

"You walk in here acting so calm and kind and expect me to believe that you're not after something?" He was irritated at everything right now. Especially the way she was acting so innocent. "I know better than to trust you."

"Trust! You think I'm the untrustworthy one? I'm not the one who's holding your vampirism over your head, trying to make you dance to my tune." She wasn't yelling, but her voice was somewhat louder than it had been. Janus felt guilty at her words and it made him even grumpier.

"Did you really think that I would expose you to the council? Perhaps you are gullible." He replied coldly. To his surprise she laughed at his answer.

"Are you telling me that you never had any intention of betraying my secret?"

"No. I would never do such a thing. I'm a man of honour." He was displeased that she thought he'd act in such a reprehensible fashion. When she again laughed at his words he started to wonder if she wasn't hysterical; her behaviour was so inconsistent with what he knew of her. At this point she should be screaming at him. Instead she was just shaking her head and giggling.

"I can't believe this. Bloody know it all mer." She was muttering to the floor. Lilia looked up at Janus and smiled at him. "Please, let's stop bickering. I'm getting so tired of it."

"So you don't want anything? Even though you've done far more for me than I have for you?" Lilia had aided him in so many ways and the only things she'd asked for in return was to learn a simple spell and for information that she'd then used to defeat the King of Worms, helping to secure his secret in the process. By all rights he owed her something and he was convinced she intended to collect.

"There is one thing that I'd like." She gave him a mischievous grin and Janus braced himself; he was sure he wouldn't like it. "I want to know where you get your tea."

"My tea?" This was unbelievable.

"Yes. Where does it come from, and how do you get it?" He stared at her in curiosity. All she wanted was his tea? Not even his tea, but to buy it herself? What a strange vampire she was.

"It's from Greenglade. There's a store in the Imperial City that special orders it for me. It's called the Copious Coinpurse." She laughed loudly at his answer.

"Thank you. That's all I wanted. I should probably go." She picked her cloak up off the sofa and he quickly stepped forward to take it from her. As he placed it around her shoulders she gently touched his hand with her marked one; even with the death of Mannimarco the symbol still remained. She turned and gave him a sad smile as she patted his arm. "You're a good man; she's lucky to have you."

He watched her walk back towards the hallway and quickly called out to her. "Lilia?"

"Yes? Oh, I'm sorry. Thank you for your hospitality, Count Hassildor." She curtsied again and he chuckled; he didn't want to reprimand her for her rusty manners.

"You're welcome, but that's not it. Anytime you're in Skingrad I want you to know that you have an open invitation to stop by for tea. And don't bother knocking." He much preferred this calm Lilia to the excitable old one. Spending time with her might be somewhat enjoyable; he was sure that they'd have much to talk about in future visits. He'd love to hear about her battle with Mannimarco; the tales he'd been hearing were rather fanciful. An ancestor bunny indeed.

"I'll keep that in mind. Until next time."

He watched her walk away, following her figure as she made her way out into the courtyard and past the gates before it faded from his vision. He sighed deeply before moving forward; the little vial was still clutched tightly in his left hand. He could feel his wedding ring pressing against it. It was time to wake his wife in order for her to finally sleep, to grant her an end to her unnatural life. She'd fallen into a coma just a couple of years after they'd been infected and hadn't woken since. She'd been such a wonderful woman, so kind and gentle. Even though they'd never had children, despite the healers' best efforts, they'd been devoted to each other.

When Janus had learnt of a cure he'd chosen not to pursue it; they were still of an age where they could finish their lives together but it would have been short and they'd have been weak and feeble. He'd not wanted that; immortality was something that he'd always been interested in and he'd been unable to resist it. If he'd woken her then she wouldn't have let him refuse the cure and he wasn't sure he'd have been able to resist her guilt and urgings to become mortal once more. Rona had died fifty-three years ago in both of their minds but he'd been reluctant to make it final. And now, after fifty-three years, their suffering would finally be over and both of them would be granted their own form of peace, thanks to the efforts of the undead daughter of a dead diplomat.


	66. Chapter 66: Rather Large

"What do you mean I can't fight anymore?" Lilia planted her staff solidly on the floor beside her as she glared at Owyn. She'd been battling in the Arena today; she'd just received promotion to Gladiator rank. There was no way Owyn could ban her from fighting now.

"Do you have squib jelly for brains? You can't fight because there's no one for you to fight. You can thank your crazy Dunmer friend for killing off the yellow team Gladiators for you." Owyn glared back at her. The Blademaster didn't much care for either her choice of weapon, her refusal to kill, or her refusal to die.

Lilia whirled around and stalked off to the training room. Her raiment was still too tight on the thighs and it didn't improve her irritable mood. She found Synderius busy practicing his archery. Agronak was in the corner of the room, moving through a whirling series of sword exercises. Porkchop, the pet boar, was snuffling around near a rack of swords hoping to find something remotely edible. He was such a pig.

"Hey there Gladiator! Can you believe you're finally the same rank as me?" The Dark Elf gave her a friendly welcome and she resisted the urge to zap him.

"What I can't believe is that there's no one left to fight! How can I ever advance like this?" She was exasperated with the situation. Lilia felt an internal pressure nowadays; while her mind was currently stable she was convinced that at some point in the near future she'd completely lose control of herself. Waiting for another yellow team gladiator to advance up the ranks was not something she felt she had time to do.

Synderius scoffed at her remarks. "Come on Lilia. We both know you don't have a chance against the Grey Prince. Hey!"

The Dunmer threw himself to the side in a graceful roll, moving out of the path of the small lightning bolt that she'd sent at him. Not hitting her intended target the shock magicka moved through the air before crashing into the rack of swords, which fell forward in a large clatter. The startled but unhurt boar let out a large squeal in surprise.

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING TO PORKCHOP?" Owyn's angry voice carried through to the warriors. Lilia recognized that tone; it was what she always thought of as his arm lopping tone. Not wanting to deal with an incensed Owyn she turned and fled out of the room, through the Bloodworks, and into the Arena district. From the sounds of laughter behind her she could tell that both Synderius and Agronak had followed her out. Most likely neither of them wanted to explain the boar's cry of surprise or the scattered assortment of swords on the ground.

"Now what do we do? I'm not going back in there for at least a couple of hours. Let Ysabel calm him down first." Agronak was watching the entrance to the Bloodworks as he spoke.

"We probably shouldn't stand around here. Let's grab dinner." Synderius was already walking towards the large gates to the Market district.

"Umm, can I change first?" Lilia was still dressed in her light raiment, mithril helm on her head, garish staff in her hand. She really didn't want to go to dinner looking like this. But she didn't want to be alone; right now she could use some company.

"Just buy something in the district. Come on, we should get out of here." The Dunmer waved his hands and Lilia and Agronak fell into step behind him. As they moved closer to the gates Lilia heard the sound of running feet and turned back to look, certain that Owyn was about to attack.

Instead she found a young Bosmer, bright yellow hair piled high up on his head in a ridiculous style, panting as he stopped in front of her and Agronak.

"By Azura, by Azura, by Azura! It's the Grand Champion!" His eyes were wide as he quickly greeted the unimpressed Grey Prince. "And you're that Gladiator on the blue team!" He pointed at Synderius, who had come closer to discover what this was all about. The mer looked confused to see Lilia, but when he caught sight of her distinctive staff his face lit up.

"You're Tiger Lily! I saw you fight today! How do you move your staff so fast?" The Wood Elf was now waving his arms around as if holding an imaginary staff and Lilia had to resist the urge to laugh. He was terrible. As the little mer whirled around she was aware that Agronak and Synderius seemed to be creeping away from them.

"Did you run out of flowers? Why aren't you wearing them anymore? I can probably get you some if you want." The mer was almost bouncing on the spot with excitement as he rapidly spoke. After her match to make Brawler rank Lilia had stopped wearing tiger lilies in her cuirass; it had been a practice designed to earn her notoriety and to make her seem incompetent. Neither motivation still held sway over her though. Before she could answer the little Wood Elf started speaking again.

"Why aren't you using your staff anymore to make fireworks? Did it run out of charges? I have a cousin who could recharge it for you. Well, actually he's my second cousin on my mother's side. Through marriage." Like the flowers she'd gladly stopped using the magic in her staff once she'd achieved Brawler rank. Lilia was now completely unsure of how to end this one sided conversation without being rude or violent. She was making a concerted effort nowadays to try and behave civilly. She could hear Agronak and Synderius whispering behind her.

"I think he likes her." Agronak murmured.

"You know, they say that for their small size Bosmer actually have rather large…Ow!"

Lilia hadn't been able to resist sending a mild stream of shock magicka into the Dunmer. She looked back at the little blond mer and found him staring with wide eyes at her. Perhaps she'd frightened him enough that he'd leave her alone.

"Wow! Do that again!" Perhaps not. Now thoroughly irritated with the young Bosmer Lilia raised her hand and let lightning crackle between her fingertips. She'd be happy to fulfill his request.

"She can't, she needs to save it for her next match. We've got to go, see you around Gelthor." Agronak had grabbed Lilia's wrist and was guiding her away from the enthusiastic mer as he spoke. He dropped his voice to a whisper. "Keep moving and whatever you do don't look back."

The three warriors made their way into the Market district stifling their laughter. Agronak told her that Gelthor had a nasty habit of cornering any Arena combatant that he could find and going on endlessly about their abilities. Lilia would make sure to avoid him in future. She stopped in briefly at the Copious Coinpurse and bought a new robe; Thoronir now carried a variety of clothing that was not sourced from the dead and she happily shopped there rather than at Palonyria's. The Altmer was such an unpleasant mer to deal with. Glad to be out of her raiment she joined her friends at the Feed Bag. She snickered at the sight of them; Agronak was surrounded by a group of regulars who were demanding stories of his latest battles, and Synderius was busy flirting with a pretty young Breton who was giggling girlishly into her wine. Deciding to leave the Dark Elf in peace she went to join the Grey Prince.

"Another time guys. And thanks for the drinks." Agronak cheerily dismissed the group and pulled out a chair beside him for Lilia to sit at. The small table was covered in mugs of ale. "Help yourself. Happens all the time." She picked one up and sipped it before putting it right back down. She could taste that the mugs at the Feed Bag weren't always properly washed.

"How can you stand it?" She asked.

"You get used to the flavour after a while." Agronak sipped from one of the cleanest looking mugs.

"No, I meant the fans. The fame. Doesn't it bother you?" To her surprise the half Orc put down his mug and gave her another one of his curious stares.

"You don't want to become Grand Champion to become Grand Champion, do you?" He asked.

"I'm sorry, what?" Lilia didn't understand his meaning.

"You're not doing this because you like to fight, and you're not doing this because you want fame and glory. Why are you in the Arena? Why do you want my rank?"

"So I can go before the Elder Council. I have a request I want to make."

"Synderius told me about that. I didn't think you really meant it though. It's a good idea; perhaps I should have asked for that myself."

"What did you ask for?" She asked quietly. Lilia was very curious as to what Agronak's request had been.

"Don't you know why I'm called the Grey Prince?" She shook her head at the question. "My father was a Lord and my mother was one of his maids. They had an affair and my mother left Crowhaven before I was born. Lord Lovidicus had no other heirs; by inheritance I'm a noble. I asked the Elder Council to recognize my birthright."

"And they refused?"

"No. They said they needed more proof than just my story." Agronak was again giving her that curious look. "Tell me, do you still travel frequently?"

She laughed at the question. Lilia rarely stayed in one spot more than a day or two. "Yes. I'm still traveling."

"Do you ever go out near Anvil?"

"Yes, why?" At her question Agronak leaned in closer to her.

"I want to ask a favour from you. My mother left me a key; she told me that there's proof of my parentage locked away in the ruins of an old Imperial fort in Crowhaven. I'd like you to find it for me and bring it back. I can't go myself; Ysabel would never allow it."

"Just get the proof and come back?" Lilia was surprised at the simple request. "I'd be honoured to do it."

"Good!" Agronak leaned back and smiled happily. She noticed him watch Synderius with an amused look on his face; the Dunmer had managed to convince the Breton to sit on his lap. "He's something else. Crazy mer. You know, he claims the reason he's so good with women is his rather large…hey! That tickles!"

* * *

Crowhaven was a sleepy farming community that had once been prosperous but was now run to seed. The poor circumstances of the residents was apparent in their patched clothing, the boarded up shops, and their dispirited attitudes. Lilia had seen villages like this before; they were often leaderless and therefore drifting on the tides of fortune. The place reminded her of Bravil, but without the smell and corruption.

The old abandoned fort was nearby to the equally abandoned Lord's manor. Lilia was grateful to find that there were no traps or inhabitants as she made her way through the stone rooms and passageways of the ancient stronghold. She could see that it had once been used as a living space; large tables, covered in dust, still resided in various rooms. Broken furniture was scattered throughout. Anything of value had long since been removed. As Lilia ventured further in she stopped suddenly and cursed silently. The place was almost abandoned.

An unwavering figure was deep in the fort. What was a vampire doing in here? The ruins were rather close to the small town; it didn't seem like a very secure location to make a lair. Lilia sighed softly and continued her way along the halls. Much to her displeasure she soon came to realize that the vampire was locked behind the very room she wanted to open. And the vampire had been in there a long time; she could hear him grunting like a wild animal as he threw himself against the door, desperate to get out and attack her. He was mad with the need to feed.

As she magically sent the key towards the lock she wondered just how the vampire had managed to get himself locked into the very place she needed to go. There must have been another key; hopefully Agronak's proof was still inside. Lilia stood as far back as she could and opened the door with her telekinesis spell. A wild vampire, dressed only in a torn pair of pants, flew out of the room. His tangled white hair waved behind him as he lunged towards Lilia. Her jet of fire magicka caught him right in the face. His body burned up shockingly fast and Lilia stared at the small pile of ash on the floor in front of her. She remained braced, waiting for some unseen attacker to come get her. Things were normally never this simple.

After a few minutes she finally decided that perhaps this time they were. Moving into the room Lilia was surprised to find that all of the furnishings were still intact. Silver candelabras sat on the tables, tarnished from years of neglect. Upholstered chairs were stained with age and rot. A large desk looked like the best place to start searching. Peeking through the drawers Lilia found a small diary. Opening it up she began to read it. Unaware of anything but the words in the mildewed book she went to sit on a nearby chair, which promptly crumpled under her weight. Her head struck the wall and she cursed loudly. Absentmindedly sending a wave of healing magic to her aching head she continued reading.

It hardly seemed possible. Lilia realized with horror that the vampire she'd turned into a pile of ash was none other than Lord Lovidicus, father of Agronak gro-Malog. And he'd been a vampire for far longer than the Grand Champion had been alive.

* * *

Closing the door behind her Lilia quickly looked around the small room. A serviceable single bed was pushed against the wall, sheets crisply tucked in. Shaving soap, a razor, a pitcher, and a basin were lined up neatly on the small wooden dresser. Everything was methodically arranged and completely clean. The only thing that surprised her was the easel in the far corner with a half-finished landscape of the shore on display. She hadn't expected that he was an artist.

Deciding that the obvious approach would be best she stepped towards the dresser, freezing in place when she heard the Captain's voice in the other room. He was coming in from patrol and she had nowhere to hide. Maintaining her invisibility spell she pressed herself into an empty corner and prayed that he didn't decide to walk into her. It would certainly not be a good thing to be caught invisible in the new Captain of the Guard's room.

The cool ring in her hand was clenched tightly as she watched Hieronymus close the door behind himself and make his way over to the dresser. She'd thought it was going to be such a simple thing to do. Just enter his quarters, put the ring someplace easy to find, and then teleport away. But it had been far from simple.

Lilia had spent a very long time waiting for the loitering guards to leave the main floor of the barracks empty, allowing her the opportunity to open the door unseen. And now she was trapped here, forced to wait until Lex either left once more or went to sleep. She couldn't teleport out without him noticing; the flash of white light the spell created wasn't discreet. And the Imperial would probably be smart enough to figure out that a mage had done the casting, and he might be able to connect it with the tales of the woman on the waterfront who had a strange habit of appearing suddenly in her home. Lilia didn't want him to know that she'd been the one to return the ring. No matter how hard she tried she couldn't think of any sort of legal explanation for how she'd come to possess it.

Hieronymus was whistling a jaunty tune as he removed his Anvil uniform. From what Lilia had overheard during her prolonged stay in the barracks the guards were more than pleased with their new Captain. She'd been glad to hear it. Perhaps Lex's career could be salvaged after all. He brushed off the uniform, making sure not a speck of dust remained upon it, and folded it neatly before placing it on an empty chair. He tucked his boots underneath it and placed his helmet squarely in the centre of the chainmail cuirass. The man was very disciplined; Lilia admired him for that. She never bothered doing anything more to her bed than flinging the covers over it, and her shelves were so randomly organized that Methredhel accused her of having tiny invisible imps living in her shack. According to her these imps would come out at night and move Lilia's crockery around. The mer had created the fanciful tale after finding a sweetroll in a teapot and the teapot lid inside a basket. Lilia just wasn't much for housekeeping; she'd never actually had a home before.

The new Captain kept whistling as he pulled his long sleeved shirt over his head. Lilia had an excellent view of his broad-shouldered back. The man kept in excellent shape. She watched as the muscles rippled under his skin as he began untying his breeches. She was rather surprised when he slipped them off to find that he wore nothing under them.

Finding herself grinning like an idiot Lilia closed her eyes and cursed herself. It was not fair for her to spy on the unsuspecting Imperial. Hearing him move in the room her eyes flew open once more and she again cursed herself. She couldn't keep her eyes shut; she needed to be able to dodge him if he came close to her. And she couldn't cast her detect life spell, the one that would allow her to see his form through her closed eyes; the glow of magicka would give her away. Lilia found her gaze wandering down his back and she quickly looked over to the painting in the corner. Studying it she noted that wherever he'd stood must have afforded a nice view. The sea rolled in from the left and the high cliffs, covered with new shoots of golden grass, stood sentinel against the approaching waves. A dot in the sky made her look closer. Was that a bird? A cloud?

Captain Lex turned around and she looked over at him to determine if she needed to move. He was lost in thought, one hand covering his mouth as he stared down at the carpet. Following the path of his gaze Lilia noted that he seemed to have a rather large…

Bird. It was definitely a bird in the painting. She forced her eyes back to the unfinished artwork. Not that he could see her but she was once more grateful that vampires couldn't blush. She tried to analyze the piece, searching for it's metaphoric strata and layers of contextual shadows. But the painting sat there mute, protesting that it was merely a painting and not an allegorical work. Movement once more focused her attention back over the unclothed Imperial.

He was stretching. Abandoning all hope of ignoring this Lilia decided to watch. The way he was standing really did afford a nice view.


	67. Chapter 67: Unusual Pairings

There was only one option in her mind; she'd have to stay out of Anvil for a while. Lilia doubted that she'd ever be able to look Captain Lex in the eyes again. Not after his fascinating performance; he was remarkably flexible for a soldier. She wondered if he ever wore anything under his breeches and giggled at the thought.

She was suddenly very aware of Agronak's curious stare. He'd asked her what she'd learnt on her trip to Anvil. She forced herself back to the present once more. The Grey Prince was seated in one of her sturdy chairs in her little home. After Lilia had teleported back from Anvil she'd attempted to make her shelves somewhat better organized; as always she'd used telekinesis magic to do so. That was the real reason that her crockery was so disorganized; when she got lost in thought she'd sometimes float her possessions around idly. Occasionally she'd even try to juggle them with her mind, and she suspected that's how a sweetroll ended up in a teapot in the first place. At least she'd made her bed today.

Lilia wasn't sure just how to tell him what she'd found. She wasn't going to mention that she'd killed his father in self-defense. That probably wouldn't go over very well. But she wasn't happy that his mother had given him a key without warning him that he might find something rather dangerous behind the locked door. Perhaps she'd known that he would end up as a talented warrior. Or perhaps that was the way of Orc mothers. She sighed and pulled the small diary from her bag.

"I found this. You're right, you are the son of Lord Lovidicus. Read this first, I won't answer any more questions until after you've done so." She passed him the innocent looking old book. As he read she thought about the remarkable contents of the diary.

Agronak's mother, Luktuv, had become pregnant by a vampire. She'd have to ask Janus if he'd ever heard of such a thing happening before. But the proof was there in the diary. It had been a very sad read for Lilia; Lord Lovidicus had loved Luktuv immensely, had been overjoyed at her pregnancy, and had been heartbroken when she'd rejected him after he'd told her his secret. She might not have sympathized with the vampire before she'd become one herself, but she now understood all too well the Imperial's hopes, fears, and emotions.

Reading it had also been painful for another reason. Despite her mixed heritage Lilia didn't seem to have the long life of the races of Mer. She aged as the races of Men, and as she'd grown up she'd always expected to have become a mother by her age. Of course, that was before she'd chosen an entirely different route. But still, the possibility that she actually could have become pregnant during the brief period in which she'd still been alive during her affair with Vicente made her ache in a way that she hadn't felt in a long time. Lilia tried not to think of it too often, but she'd once wished for a stable life, with a husband, a home, and a family. Now that she was undead that pleasant daydream felt more like a nightmare to reflect on.

"I'm a monster." Agronak's despondent voice broke her out of her own unhappy thoughts.

"What?" Lilia couldn't understand what he was talking about.

"It says so right here. My father was a filthy vampire; I'm half vampire." She tried hard not to laugh at the half Orc's words. He may be half Orc, but the other half was merely Imperial. He most certainly wasn't a vampire.

"No, you're half Imperial."

"Thank you, but I know what I really am." The Grand Champion's words were so sad and bitter that Lilia felt alarmed at his attitude. She could not let him leave thinking such thoughts, but she certainly wasn't comfortable revealing that he was sitting across a small table from an actual vampire.

"Do you? Tell me, how frequently do you drink blood?" Her tone was sharp as she asked.

"Never. I've never done so."

"Right. And the sun has set you on fire how many times in your life?"

"Well, it's hasn't, but sometimes I find it bright…"

"And you're immune to poisons, right?"

"No, but I'm immune to paralyzation…"

"And you obviously aren't aging at all, wouldn't you agree? It's not like you've actually grown up or anything." She was deliberately needling him now, hoping that her pointed questions would penetrate the fog of self-hatred that he seemed to have cloaked himself with.

"Of course I'm aging, but…"

"And it's not like your blood actually flows through you? You don't have a heartbeat, you don't need to blink, and you don't need to breathe. Right?"

"But I'm only half vamp…"

"Damn it, Agronak!" Lilia slammed her hand against the table top in frustration. The idea of sitting here watching a mortal get upset because they were convinced they were somehow part vampire was making her very angry. She had enough self-loathing and unhappy thoughts for the both of them. "You are not a half vampire, or a quarter vampire, or any sort of vampire at all! You're half-Orc and half-Imperial. You're a regular every day mortal."

"You don't need to shout." He sounded annoyed and Lilia smiled. This was much better than his former despondent tone. "Are you sure about that? That I'm not some new form of vampire?"

"Gods! Yes, I am sure about that. And another thing; your father was not a monster."

"Didn't you read this? He was a vampire!" Agronak shoved the diary at her and tapped on the cover as he spoke.

"Yes. He was a vampire. But that doesn't make him wicked." The Grey Prince snorted at her words. "Don't scoff. You have no idea what you're talking about. Have you never thought about it? Vampires are people, people who've been diseased. In order to stay alive they need blood, just as a sick person needs medicine. It's an unfortunate circumstance compounded by the fact that some choose to run off and live as monsters. But there are good people who become vampires and your father was such a person. Read it again. He loved your mother; he loved you. Don't be so quick to condemn him for something beyond his control."

Agronak gave her the strangest look before once more reading through the diary. At least he seemed to be a bit calmer. Lilia waited for him to finish.

"But what about this entry here? He says he wants to kill her, and me." The Gray Prince held the open book out towards her but she didn't need to read it. The contents were already burned in her mind.

"He was angry and betrayed. Try to see it from his perspective, just for a moment. You're in love, incredibly in love with this wonderful woman and against all odds she's pregnant with your child, a child you consider a miraculous blessing from the Divines. You hope desperately that she'll accept your condition, that her love for you will let her see past your disease. Instead she calls you a monster and imprisons you in your own room, fleeing with your unborn son. Are you going to tell me that you might not be just a tad bitter and angry? That you wouldn't perhaps write down some unpleasant things in your private journal?"

"Hmph." He was frowning at the diary on the table. The Grey Prince gave her another one of his curious looks and Lilia felt a bit better. Perhaps she'd managed to talk some sense into him. "How is it that you know and understand so much about vampires?"

She'd been expecting such a question. "I was very good friends with one once. He was a wonderful Gods-fearing man who'd become an immortal not by choice. He never killed or infected anyone he fed on. I've also encountered the other kind, the ones who chose to live in a murderous fashion. I have far more personal experience with vampires and vampirism than I can possibly explain. And I'm sure that you're not any sort of vampire, and that your father wasn't any sort of monster. Do you think your mother would choose to love someone evil?"

"No. You're right, she wouldn't have done so." He sighed loudly. "So now what? I finally have my proof, but what good does it do me?"

"It can do a lot of good for a lot of people. Crowhaven needs a Lord. The people need you."

"Really?" Lilia was delighted to see the small smile on his lips as he asked the question.

"Yes. The village needs someone to act as its advocate once more. I can't imagine anyone who would do a better job."

Agronak pondered her words in silence for a few minutes, he seemed to be making a decision. She resisted the urge to float the small diary on the table around as she waited.

"You know, I've often thought about retiring while I'm still alive. And I do have a lot of money saved up. Do you still want to become Grand Champion?"

"Yes, but I'd prefer you not let me win." While she had few scruples when dealing with those who were trying to kill her in other circumstances Lilia did respect the warriors who fought in the Arena. She didn't use magic on them unless necessary, preferring instead to face the fighters with her staff. She also felt that not paralyzing warriors at the very start of a match would help her stay alive longer; at least, she'd be less likely to be attacked by a group of very insulted yellow team fighters inside the Bloodworks.

"Let you win? Ha! I have no plans to retire as the defeated Grand Champion. No, here's what we do…"

* * *

Owyn watched as Ysabel listened to the Grey Prince's announcement. The battle matron was very unhappy at what she was hearing. Damn, he found the woman so attractive when she was mad. Owyn loved making her angry.

"Retire? Are you crazy? You're the Grey Prince!" Ysabel was standing now, shouting up at the giant warrior.

"I'm serious. As of right now I'm no longer going to fight in the Arena. I must attend to my duties as a Lord." Agronak was very calm as he answered. Owyn frowned at the half Orc's words; he'd never believed that nonsense about Agronak being some sort of noble. He suspiciously looked at the two blue team gladiators who were standing beside the Grand Champion. It was probably their fault; Synderius was such an odd one, so unnaturally friendly to everyone. He'd probably encouraged this nonsense. As for Lilia, well, that daft creature surely had a hand in this mess. He still couldn't believe that she was still alive. While she could move fast and she was skilled with her staff he was still amazed that she hadn't yet died as a result of her feeble mind. Porkchop was more cunning than her.

"How can you say that? Agronak, think of your fans. Think of the people. They love you."

"I am thinking of the people. My people. And they need me." Agronak didn't seem to be about to yield on this issue. Ysabel turned her wrath on the blue team gladiators.

"You did this, didn't you? The two of you wanted to get a shot at his title and you knew you couldn't defeat him, so you've filled his head with nonsense. I look forward to watching you die in the Grand Championship match."

"Then I'm sorry to disappoint you, but I'm the only one that might die. Synderius won't be fighting." Lilia replied quietly and Owyn laughed at her. The crazy woman thought that she could survive against the best three warriors the yellow team had to offer? It hadn't happened in a long time, but there was a system in place to handle the sudden death or retirement of a Grand Champion. Those in the Gladiator, Hero, or Champion ranks could fight for the honour in a no-holds barred free for all match. Though there were very few combatants who were a high enough rank to participate; the attrition rate in the Arena was rather steep. Only Lilia and Synderius qualified to fight for the blue team, and there were three on the yellow team who could also choose to compete. Owyn highly doubted that either of the two Heros or Heddvild, the current yellow team Champion, would decline the opportunity.

"You're crazier than he is!" Ysabel pointed at Agronak.

"Oh, most certainly. When will the match take place?" Lilia didn't seem phased by the insult.

"Two weeks." Ysabel spat out. "The sixteenth of First Seed. You can wear and use whatever you want. It won't help you though."

"I'm sure it won't. Is there anything else?" Lilia waited as the Battle Matron glared at her. "Fine. I'll see you in two weeks."

Owyn watched the two Gladiators and the Grand Champion leave the room. Ysabel stalked over to him in high fury.

"This is all your fault! You let her fight. You've caused this whole mess." She was punching him in his steel cuirass; he didn't wear it just for show. Owyn tried hard not to smile; this was the best thing that Lilia had ever done. Ysabel was simply glowing with anger; he wondered just how long he could keep her that way.

* * *

He found her in the courtyard staring up at the stars. She'd been rather quiet today and Carius wondered why. He stepped beside her and floated a bottle of ale in front of her.

"Thanks." She grabbed it and opened it. He'd expected her to chastise him for using his magic on something that could leave a mark. Lilia seemed to be in a world of her own.

"What are you doing out here? The acrobats are about to perform." The new Count and Countess had arranged a charming series of entertainments to celebrate not only their marriage, but First Planting. The festival was a time to give thanks for new beginnings and to celebrate the people's hopes for a fertile year. They'd chosen a very good day to hold their wedding.

"I'll be in shortly. I just needed some fresh air." She sipped from the amber bottle. Her appetite seemed to have improved dramatically in the last few weeks. Carius couldn't recall her ever eating or drinking so frequently. He'd always wondered if she'd lived off of potions previously. "Why aren't you waiting on Lyra?"

He was surprised at the question. Hadn't she noticed that he'd not gone near the Imperial all day? She was normally more observant than that. "We aren't an item any more. It just didn't work out."

"I'm sorry to hear that."

"Don't be." Carius chuckled at her unnecessary sympathy. "We were driving each other crazy. We're actually rather glad that it's over; at least there weren't any hard feelings."

"That's good to hear." She was looking blankly at a spot on the bare ground.

"Thanks for the oranges. I've been sharing them with the guards, they all want me to thank you for sending them." Since their last conversation he'd received a weekly shipment of the produce from the Imperial City care of a courier. It was rather nice of her to be doing.

"It was nothing. I'd send you a grove of orange trees if you wanted them. It's the least I can do to repay you for your friendship." She gave him a small smile. For some reason he thought she looked a little sad.

"You don't need to repay me for anything. That's the point of friendship. You know that." She sighed and he continued on, unable to contain his curiosity. "What's wrong? You've been far too quiet all day, I would have expected you to be in your element with all of the festivities." He thought of her as rather mischievous and merry. The fact that she wasn't frolicking about, chatting with people and participating in the revelry seemed off to him.

"Nothing's wrong. I've just been thinking about some ghosts from the past. It's funny how life doesn't work out like you planned, isn't it?"

"It's the wedding, right? I know what you mean; I always figured I'd have a wife by this point. But there's still time. Don't worry, I'm sure you'll find someone soon. You could always try looking a little more available." He patted her arm gently and was glad to hear her snort in response. He'd been hoping she'd be amused at his comment.

"It's just such a puzzle; how could a woman ever resist your charms?" Lilia was teasing him now. "I've never met a man who was so talented at giving compliments before."

"It's a complete mystery to me. Speaking of mysteries, what did you get the Count and Countess as a wedding present?" He was curious what her packages had contained. She smiled at him.

"I managed to find her an ancient Akaviri helm; there's a wonderful little store in the Imperial City that can get almost anything if you order far enough in advance. I'm friends with the owner, though he doesn't seem to give me any discounts. Cost quite a bit but I've not got much else to spend my money on."

The Countess was renowned for her obsession with Akaviri artifacts. She was said to have the best collection in Cyrodiil. Carius was sure she'd be delighted with the present. "And what did you give Jorundr?"

"Count Jorundr. I gave him a loaf of bread, a hunk of venison, a potato, some strawberries, and a bottle of ale. And an engraved pewter mug with the coat of arms of Bruma on it."

"So it was you!" Suddenly the mystery of the empty ale bottles and strawberry hulls had been solved. Allian had discovered them, along with a coin purse, in the time between Lilia's first two visits to Bruma. The guards had been stumped as to how those items had gotten into a locked cell on the other side of the room from Jorundr's. The Nord had denied all knowledge of them. They'd actually come to the consensus that Tyrellius must have been to blame; the corrupt guard had been known to haunt the dungeon while trying to convince Jorundr to talk. "But where did you get the ale?"

Lilia was laughing now. "Are you going to arrest me? Or can I safely confess my crimes?"

"I'm off-duty, so confess away."

"During my first visit the jailor forgot to serve dinner. Jorundr was hungry so I remedied the situation. An open lock spell and some invisibility magic later the Countess' kitchens had furnished a lovely meal."

"You broke out of jail to steal strawberries from the Countess of Bruma, and then returned to jail to feed a prisoner those strawberries?" Carius was impressed; everything she did seemed so strange and yet it made sense in its own crazy way. He could never predict her line of thinking though; it was too odd.

"I wasn't about to break out and get a bounty on my head. Besides, it was a good opportunity to get to know him better. I think Bruma is lucky to have him."

"I think you're right. So, what have you been doing these last couple of weeks?" Since the Nord's release Lilia hadn't had a reason to return to Bruma. Carius was curious what she did with her time.

"Oh, lots of things. I've done some traveling and have spent quite a bit of time at the Arcane University. There's a surprising amount of work a Master Wizard is supposed to do, but Arch Mage Polus doesn't get too upset that I'm not always there. And I've been doing a lot of training."

"Training? For what?"

"Hmph. I might as well tell you since I'm sure you'll find out eventually. I fight in the Arena." She didn't seem pleased at her revelation and Carius gave her a curious stare.

"You? In the Arena? What rank, Brawler?" Carius had occasionally seen some matches when he'd visited the Imperial City. It was remarkable how the warriors survived such horrid wounds; he'd always thought it odd that they said nobody ever died in the Arena. He sipped his bottle of ale.

"Gladiator." Carius started coughing; he'd swallowed wrong when she'd answered. Lilia laughed at his suffering.

"Gladiator? You?"

"You like that idea?" She was teasing him again. "Then you'll love this. I'm going to be in the upcoming Grand Champion match next week as the blue team warrior."

"You jest." She had to be making this up. Carius was happy that she seemed to be in a better mood now.

"As always, I can't put anything past you. Now come on, we should get back to the festivities. I'm very curious to see if I know any of the acrobats."


	68. Chapter 68: And in the Blue Corner

"Daft. Utterly daft." Lilia could hear Owyn muttering under his breath. He obviously didn't approve of her armour, but she really didn't care. The Redguard could think what he wanted about her appearance. She had other things to worry about, like the packed Arena that was awaiting the Grand Championship match. The sound of voices filled the Bloodworks with a soft roar. Apparently the place was full.

"That's an interesting look, but I'm sure you've got your reasons." Agronak was giving her a very kind smile and she tried to quell her nervousness. She would be facing Heddvild, the Nord yellow team Champion, a powerful Dunmer mage, and a highly skilled Wood Elf who could use both her bow and her longsword. "Good luck. You'll do fine, and don't forget what I've taught you."

The Grey Prince had been giving her lessons in preparation for the match. They'd sparred every day that she was in the Imperial City in the last two weeks; she'd used her staff against his longsword. Even though he used a different weapon he'd still managed to teach her quite a few new tricks. He'd been insistent that she play to her strengths - her speed, her ability to dodge, and her skill with her staff.

"Go get 'em, Tiger Lily." Synderius gave her a friendly pat on her dwarven clad arm. He hadn't been put out by her and Agronak's request that he not participate in the match. The Dark Elf had said that he certainly didn't feel up to facing not only the three yellow team fighters but also Lilia; if the two fought together and defeated the yellow team then they'd need to battle each other for the title. There could only be one Grand Champion at a time. As he'd pointed out he could always choose to challenge Lilia for the title if she survived at a later date.

As she stepped towards the ramp up to the Arena an Altmer blocked her path. She recognized him as the mer she'd fought to advance to Brawler rank. He also seemed to be a close friend of Heddvild's. To her surprise he extended his hand in a polite fashion.

"I just wanted to thank you and wish you luck. I wouldn't be alive if you hadn't chosen not to kill me; I won't forget it."

Lilia was touched at his gratitude. She grasped his hand with her gauntleted one and immediately regretted it. A very powerful silence spell now hung over her; the mage had cast it on touch. The High Elf gave her a cruel smile and walked away. She didn't know what to do; Lilia had been counting on using her magicka in case of emergency. She was now in the position of facing three formidable warriors who all wanted to kill her armed only with a jester's staff while wearing her odd assortment of armour.

"Either you get up there right now or you can leave. The match is about to start whether or not you're at the gate." Owyn was not happy at her delay. What he said was true, Lilia didn't need to be there for the match to happen. The three yellow team combatants could fight themselves for the Grand Champion title.

She made her way up the ramp to the Arena. There wasn't time to try and get the spell removed, and there wasn't time to deal with the treacherous Altmer who'd cast it. She could deal with him later. Assuming there was a later.

* * *

"I still say she'll use an elemental. Probably a storm atronach, she has an affinity for shock magics." Fathis gestured with his wine glass down to the empty pale sands.

"And you still say she used an ancestor bunny to defeat Mannimarco. I'll not believe either until I see it." Janus glanced around the stadium as he sipped his wine. He was seated next to the Court Wizard; Fathis claimed that the Count of Bravil felt unwell and he'd been sent to take his place. Janus highly suspected that the mer had done something to facilitate this sudden illness, the Telvanni were a cunning lot. They were sitting under the canopied middle section reserved for the upper echelon of society. He recognized a few faces; the new Arch Mage was here this evening, as was the old one. Both of them had appeared rather surprised at Count Hassildor's presence at such a crowded event, but then he guessed that neither of them had a detect life spell active. The idea that there was an undetected vampire on the council of mages pleased him greatly, he most certainly wouldn't divulge Lilia's secret to them.

A vaguely familiar scent made him glance around. Gortwog, King of Orsinium, and his entourage were settling in on the highest row of seats. Janus found this rather unusual; the ruler rarely left High Rock. What business did he have here in the Imperial City? Surely he hadn't traveled so far just to watch an Arena match. The elderly Orc was seated next to the chairs reserved for the High Chancellor's use and the empty chair left in memory of the Emperor. From all accounts the Count had heard things were not going well with the Elder Council. A meeting had been scheduled for tomorrow morning, as was customary after a Grand Championship match. He'd decided to attend; Janus wanted to see for himself just what was happening inside the council chambers. The Empire had been without an Emperor for almost a year and he didn't like the whispers that had been circulating.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, it's time for the moment you've all been waiting for. Tonight, four of the best the Arena has to offer will battle to win the title of Grand Champion. Four will enter, but only one will emerge victorious. Lower the gates!" The announcer's magically loud voice heralded the start of the match.

"By the Nine, what is she using?" Janus was horrified at the multicoloured staff in Lilia's hands.

"It matches her armour." Fathis replied.

"Which part?" She was wearing the familiar assortment of armour that Janus had come to know well. Perhaps the green stripes did match her boots. On second glance he realized they didn't; the greens actually clashed. Was she trying to blind her opponents with bad taste?

The Dunmer mage fired off a powerful stream of frost and Lilia spun out of the way. The Nord was running forward, armed with a large enchanted silver claymore. A Bosmer archer was circling in the rear, trying to get a clear shot at Lilia. Janus leaned forward, all conversation forgotten as he watched the battle.

It was not at all what he'd expected. For some reason Lilia didn't seem to be using any of her magical talents. She also wasn't very aggressive; she was running around the Arena, a whirl of constant motion as she dodged the attacks of the yellow team Champion. Janus noted that she was doing a good job of keeping the large Nord between herself and the ranged weapon and magics of the other two fighters. Dodging out of the way of another swipe of the claymore she suddenly tossed her staff like a javelin, catching the Dark Elf mage right in the head. He went down in a heap. Lilia was now unarmed but facing two opponents instead of three. The crowd roared at the change; even with a vampire's keen sense of hearing it was impossible to tell if they were pleased or not.

She was now running and tumbling across the sands as she moved quickly to retrieve her staff. The Bosmer was rapidly firing arrows at her and when one lodged itself in her left thigh as she grabbed her staff Janus felt a bit worried. The wound would certainly slow her down and her opponent's skill was impressive. Why wasn't she using her magic to at least heal herself?

Lilia pulled out the arrow and brought her staff up to block the Nord's powerful swing. With small but effective movements she pulled the staff back and jabbed it into the Champion's chest. The warrior staggered back as Lilia whirled behind a pillar, out of range of the arrows. The archer was only a few feet away and she ducked to the side when Lilia mimed that she was about to toss her staff at the mer. Taking advantage of the small distraction Lilia darted out from behind the pillar and ran towards the archer. While she was still fast the Count could see that she was limping as she moved. Her staff caught the Wood Elf under the chin, knocking her out, but not before the mer managed to fire off another arrow. This one embedded itself in the side of her dwarven cuirass.

Lilia spun around, holding her staff up protectively in front of her with one hand as the other one yanked out the arrow. Janus could see her grimace as she did so before the Nord blocked his view of her face. The warrior was quickly moving her claymore through the air, trying to cut off Lilia's head. The Champion was fast, but Lilia managed to fend off the attacks. To his complete surprise he thought he heard her talking. Casting a spell that his Telvanni friend had taught him Janus found himself able to clearly hear what was happening on the sands of the Arena.

"…afraid to face me alone? You had to cheat, didn't you?" Lilia grunted as she deflected an overhand swing before jabbing her staff into the Nord's shoulder.

"I had to teach you a lesson. Adamil was only too happy to help." The Champion seemed to be aiming for the gloved hands that held the staff; Lilia pulled her arms away and arced her staff up into the woman's side. The Nord stepped back and bent over, her hands close to the sand.

"You cowardly bitch, you…ah!" Lilia leapt backwards as she wiped her eyes with her left hand while holding her staff up with her right. The crowd was certainly booing; the Nord has tossed a handful of sand into the Gladiator's face. While it wasn't against the rules it was considered to be a cheap trick. Glancing quickly at the mer beside him Janus noted that Fathis' body appeared to be rather nervous. The Count wasn't happy with how things were playing out on the Arena floor. He didn't want Lilia to die; she hadn't even come for tea yet.

Lilia was being pressed back as she fended off the Champion's attacks. She was now blinking rapidly and seemed somewhat weakened; Janus wasn't pleased that she still hadn't healed herself. Blood loss was far more dangerous to a vampire than a mortal; vampires couldn't make their own to replace it.

"Why won't you die?" The Nord was clearly frustrated by Lilia's refusal to drop dead.

"Because you move like a pregnant cow." The vampire hissed in reply. She ducked low and twirled around under the Champion's sideways swing. Her staff struck powerfully against the Nord's knee and the warrior hopped back on one leg. Standing up Lilia pushed away the woman's claymore with her staff while stepping forward closer to her body. The low end of her weapon shot up between the Nord's legs.

Janus flinched at the blow and noted Fathis do the same. He was sure it hurt regardless of gender, but as a man it had been rather painful to watch.

"Flaming Akatosh on a stick!" A deep voice rumbled out the curse behind him but Janus didn't turn to look and see who had said it. He was watching the fighters intently.

The Champion gasped in pain, but her moans were cut off by the ebony covered forearm Lilia slammed up into her face. He listened to the roar of the crowd and it took him a couple of seconds before he realized that it was all over. Lilia had won, the yellow team Champion was unconscious. She was now the Grand Champion of the Arena. She also needed to get herself healed; both wounds were still bleeding steadily.

The cheers of the crowd intensified as a grey-skinned Orc walked out from the Bloodworks below. He was carrying a red and white raiment in his arms with an orange flower on top. This must be the Grey Prince; Count Hassildor hadn't even heard any rumours as to why the Grand Champion had suddenly decided to retire. He was sure the vampire had something to do with it. Lilia limped into the middle of the Arena using her staff as support. Much to Janus' relief the former Grand Champion sent a stream of healing magic into the wounded woman.

"I didn't know you could do that."

"I'm resistant to magic, it doesn't mean I don't know any. Now get down, you're supposed to kneel."

"Right, sorry." Lilia knelt on the sand in front of the Grey Prince.

"Now take off your helmet and fire off your staff."

"No. I told you I don't want to." Count Hassildor snickered; Lilia sounded like a petulant child. Fathis gave him a curious look and he indicated that the mer should use his magic to listen to the unusual exchange happening in the Arena.

"And I told you that you'd better do it or I'll do it for you. Now take off that helmet."

"Godsdamn it." She quickly tugged it off and tucked it under her left arm. "Now give me the bloody raiment."

"No. Use your staff."

Janus and Fathis chuckled as they listened to Lilia's ideas of just what the Grey Prince could do with her staff. The Count wasn't sure just how she thought the Orc would be able to fit it up there. The retired Grand Champion wasn't swayed by her painful suggestions. After a bit of bickering she finally relented and held her staff up. A burst of sparks shot into the sky and arranged themselves into a glittering tiger lily. Janus shook his head; only Lilia would choose to fight in the Arena under a moniker that was based on a flower. It wasn't exactly an intimidating name.

"There. Now give me that cursed armour. I bet it won't even fit right, they're always tight on the thighs. Wait, is that a bloody tiger lily?"

"Synderius' idea. Now I'll give it to you when you say please."

Lilia said many things, but please was certainly not one of them. Fathis was now laughing loudly and Janus tried to keep his own mirth under control. He was aware that the people seated around them were giving them curious looks. The Grey Prince finally gave her the raiment of valor, the prize for the Grand Champion, and the announcer introduced her to the crowd. Tiger Lily. What an odd choice.

"I told you she was amusing." Fathis was still snickering at her comments. "She's also rather thoughtful; do you know she brought me a whole box of tea at her last visit?"

"Tea?" Janus didn't like where the conversation was going; it had been a constant battle to keep his source of tea a secret from the curious Dark Elf. Fathis had always been trying to find out where it came from. He'd even caught the mer poking around in his buffet one day. The Telvanni claimed he'd been looking for a teaspoon, despite the fact that one was sitting right there on his saucer.

"Yes. It's a lovely blend that's imported from Greenglade. Apparently it's not her favourite; she prefers her tea to come from Elsweyr." The mer was giving him what he always thought of as a Telvanni smile. Janus just shook his head; she'd asked for that information as a reward not even for her own reasons but for her friend's. It was rather remarkable, for the undead daughter of a dead diplomat she certainly didn't seem to be overly concerned with personal gain.

The Count gave Fathis a withering look and the Dunmer once more burst into laughter. Janus made a mental note to start keeping a supply of tea from Elsweyr in his apartments. He should have known better when she'd asked where he got it; in all her visits she'd barely ever touched her cups of tea.

* * *

"We should probably get started." Ocato stood tall and straight, the very picture of High Elf superiority. Janus wasn't sure why he was looking so imperious; there wasn't anyone to see it. Well, not many people to see it. Only three other members of the Elder Council had shown up for the meeting and Count Hassildor was rather unsettled by the amount of absences. If the others had all left the Imperial City as he'd heard then Ocato was essentially running the Empire alone.

"Bring them in." The Altmer motioned for a herald to retrieve the current and former Grand Champions. As he waited for them to enter the large council chambers Janus looked around; it had been years since he'd last stood in this room. A giant round stone table, which looked remarkably like an altar, filled the cavernous space. Red silk covered chairs ringed it, but they all stood empty at the moment. Besides Ocato and himself there were only two other people present; King Gortwog and the newly married Countess Narina Carvain. As with all hereditary Counts and Countesses of Cyrodiil she too had a seat on the Elder Council just as Janus did. He'd never had the opportunity to meet her before; he normally did little socializing. As he looked at the young Imperial he marveled again that she'd had the audacity to marry a common Nord prisoner. He decided not to take her lightly; she obviously had a fair bit of confidence to have pulled off something like that. She would most likely not be a push over.

"Announcing the former Grand Champion of the Arena, Agronak gro-Malog, and the current Grand Champion of the Arena; Master Wizard Lilia." As the herald escorted the two towards the few Elder Council members Janus tried not to stare at Lilia. He'd never seen her look like this before.

She was dressed in a long turquoise formal eodoric; he hadn't seen one of those in years. The pleated and folded fabric draped elegantly from her frame, creating the illusion of more curves than she actually possessed. He wondered where she'd dug up that dress; it had been very fashionable in High Rock decades ago. Her hair had been somehow set into a mass of curls. She'd obvious learnt quite a few tricks as the daughter of a diplomat; the way she'd skillfully highlighted her eyes and coloured in her mouth distracted the eye from her slightly square jaw and somewhat flat nose. She looked rather exotic and once again Janus wondered just what races she'd inherited from her father's side. It was obvious that she was quite a blend. Lilia stood very straight and stepped gracefully forward as she gave the council members a warm smile. The Count was very much looking forward to hearing her request as she'd certainly gone to great lengths to appear as charming as possible.

"I present to you Countess Narina Carvain of Bruma."

"Countess, it is always a pleasure to see you." Lilia curtsied to the Imperial. Agronak murmured his greetings with a graceful bow.

"Well met Agronak gro-Malog." Countess Carvain gave a nod in return to the half Orc. "And it's always good to see you again Lilia, especially in one piece. Jorundr and Carius both send their regards and thanks; they made quite a profit betting on you."

As the herald guided the two over to him Janus mused on the exchange between Lilia and the Countess. He'd heard that the vampire had been a frequent visitor to Castle Bruma so he wasn't too surprised by the Countess' familiar speech.

"I present to you Count Janus Hassildor of Skingrad."

"Greetings to you Count Hassildor." Agronak bowed politely and Janus acknowledged him with a nod.

"Greetings to you Count Hassildor. May the Nine bless and keep you and your fair city." Lilia had an impish grin as she curtsied to the Count.

"Greetings to you Master Wizard." He bent over and picked up her gloved right hand, giving the white silk a polite kiss. What a clever little vampire; she'd thought of a way to keep her cold hands a secret. Or perhaps she didn't want to frighten the council members with her hideous mark. Lilia was giving him a very mischievous look; she was certainly in good humour today. At least she'd remembered not to help her hand along in its path towards his face; women who weren't quite so knowledgeable in diplomatic arts tended to bring their arm up instead of letting him guide it up, often resulting in a rather sore nose.

"I present to you King Gortwog of Orsinium."

Agronak made his polite greetings and bow, which Gortwog received graciously. As Lilia greeted the Orc Janus resisted the urge to raise an eyebrow. She curtsied deeply and hailed the ruler in Orcish. Her pronunciation was rather good. To his complete surprise the grey-haired ruler chuckled at her words.

"I haven't been greeted so formally in over twenty years. You are the daughter of Eraden, aren't you?"

"You remember my father?" Lilia asked.

"I remember Eraden, but I could never forget his daughter. I still recall the sight of you, a slip of a girl, trying to wave around an orcish battle axe and pulling yourself over in the process. I am pleased to see that your combat skills have improved."

"Thank you. I am honoured that you find them more satisfactory." She was trying to control her grin as she spoke. Janus was sure that if she wasn't a vampire she'd be blushing. He really hoped she came for tea soon; he'd love to hear the story of how she'd ended up playing with weapons in front of the legendary Gortwog, Warlord of the Orcs of Orsinium.

"I present to you High Chancellor Ocato."

Lilia and Agronak greeted the High Chancellor properly. The High Elf received their words politely. The introductions completed the council members arranged themselves in their seats; four chairs had been pulled to the side of the room to allow the petitioners to speak more easily to the assembled Elder Council. The large round table often necessitated such arrangements.

"And what would the new Grand Champion ask of the Elder Council?" Ocato asked.

"If I might, I would prefer if we conclude the former Grand Champion's business before discussing mine." Lilia replied politely with a soft bow. Her manners had improved dramatically from his first meeting with her. Though the idea of her speaking so rudely to Ocato as she had done to Janus was an amusing mental picture indeed. The former Arch Magister of the Mages Guild would probably vaporize her if she did.

"Of course. Agronak gro-Malog, when you were last here you were told that more proof would be required before we would grant your claim of Lordship. Have you returned with any more evidence?"

"Yes. I have proof that I am the son of Lord Lovidicus, written by his own hand." Agronak was standing very straight and sounded somewhat defiant as he answered. Count Hassildor had been briefed on the Grey Prince's claim that he was of noble descent.

Ocato took the small leather bound journal and began reading the indicated pages. The High Chancellor looked as if he'd bitten into something rotten; his mouth was puckered in distaste. Much to Janus' surprise Ocato gave him a glare as he passed the book to Gortwog without comment.

When Janus received the diary and read through it he understood Ocato's look. The Grey Prince was the son of a vampire. He'd never heard of such a thing happening, but then he wasn't exactly an expert on just what vampires could and could not do. The remarkable part was that Agronak gro-Malog was certainly no vampire at all. At least he had not inherited his father's disease. He gave the diary to the Countess beside him. When she finished reading she passed it to the steward, who returned it to the Grey Prince.

"What does the council think of his evidence?" Ocato asked the other members. Judging by his body language the Altmer wasn't pleased with the situation at all.

"He's not a vampire, is he?" Countess Carvain asked Janus quietly.

"He's not." She nodded softly at his whispered reply.

"I am satisfied by the evidence that Agronak gro-Malog is the son of Lord Lovidicus." Narina declared.

"I must agree with the Countess." Janus spoke to Ocato. He tried to make sure that the High Chancellor understood much more than just his words; he did not want the subject of vampire nobles being discussed in depth. As a former high ranking member of the Mages Guild and right hand of the previous Emperor Ocato was well aware of Janus' condition.

"It pleases me to recognize the nobility of Agronak gro-Malog." As he'd expected Gortwog also decided in favour of conferring the title of Lord Lovidicus to the former Grand Champion. Gortwog had long struggled to help Orcs be accepted into society and Janus doubted that he'd object even if Agronak was part vampire, part werewolf, and covered in bright purple feathers.

"Then the matter is settled. Agronak gro-Malog will henceforth be known as the true heir of Lord Lovidicus, with all inherent rights and privileges that come with such a rank." As Ocato pronounced the decision of the council Janus noted Lilia give Agronak's hand a quick squeeze. He didn't doubt that she'd been involved in this. It was yet another thing that he'd have to ask her about.

"And now Grand Champion, what would you ask of the council?"

"I ask that no longer would combat to the death be allowed in the Arena. It is a waste to let the lifeblood of the finest warriors in Tamriel be spilt upon the sands of the Arena floor. Granting this request would bring you the eternal gratitude of the combatants and would surely demonstrate your benevolence to the people of the Empire." Lilia looked into the eyes of the council members as she spoke, finishing with Ocato. Janus understood her hidden meaning; the High Chancellor was acting as puppet Emperor and she was trying to present her request in a way that he could see a personal advantage in granting it. She certainly had learnt a few things as a diplomat's daughter.

"That is a very selfless request. I would be happy to grant it to you as a small way to repay the toil you have spent in working for the happiness of others." Countess Carvain didn't hesitate to let the council know her feelings on the matter. Janus tried not to smirk; he suspected that Lilia's past dealings with the Countess certainly influenced her decision.

"I think it is a very wise request, especially in such unprecedented times as these. We should not allow our finest fighters to die for such trivial matters." Janus looked at Ocato and was sure that the High Chancellor understood. The Empire was under great strain with the loss of the Emperor. Keeping a contingent of loyal and powerful warriors in the middle of the Imperial City would be a wise course of action.

"As a warrior I well understand why you make this request. It honours me that you make it, and I am proud to call you kin, though we share no blood. I would be glad to grant it." As Gortwog spoke Janus was surprised to see Lilia's smile. She looked like a child who'd just received praise from a demanding tutor. He wondered what Gortwog had meant by kin; there were rumours that the King wasn't a pureblooded Orc. Perhaps they had some ancestral race in common.

"The request of the new Grand Champion is approved by the council. You are both dismissed." Ocato indicated for the herald to remove the two petitioners with a small nod of the head. Janus watched as Lilia curtsied graciously and the new Lord Lovidicus bowed deeply. As he followed the exit of the undead daughter of a dead diplomat and the living son of a formerly undead Lord Janus' lips curled up in a small smile. Perhaps Fathis was correct; perhaps she could be rather amusing at times.


	69. Chapter 69: Elemental Goblins

The wild flax was already blooming and the chirping of songbirds filled the air. Puffy white clouds floated along in the intensely blue sky and a soft breeze ruffled the leaves of the trees that lined the highway, creating a comfortable hushing sound. Lilia smiled up at the sunshine and basked in its glow.

For the first time in a long time she felt happy and carefree. She'd accomplished her goal. And it had been her own goal, her own desire to make it to Grand Champion and to help preserve the lives of the combatants. The Gods may have pushed her to join but her refusal to kill had been her own choice, as had her request to the Elder Council. She couldn't remember the last time she'd done something for her own reasons rather than the Gods'. And it had been a good thing to do. She was actually feeling proud of herself for a change and it was a delightful sensation.

Her mood had been steadily improving ever since she'd defeated the three yellow team combatants yesterday. That had not been a fun battle for her; her opponents had been both skilled and actively trying to kill her. Though she had enjoyed striking Heddvild in her big mouth. After she'd healed herself at the Basin of Renewal, the silence spell being disrupted by the powerful restoration magic, she'd gone hunting for Adamil. Lilia had found the High Elf standing in the same room as Owyn and Ysabel most likely hoping that she wouldn't attack him. At the sight of the angry Grand Champion the mer had launched a jet of shock magicka at her, which was deflected by the shield of spell reflection that she'd woven around herself. The spell had slammed into the shield that Ysabel had been holding causing it to fly out of her hand and strike Porkchop on his haunches. Lilia had sent a silence spell of her own into the treacherous mage and had left him to the tender ministrations of an angry Ysabel, a furious Owyn, and a pissed off Porkchop. It had been most entertaining to watch.

Afterwards Lilia had teleported to her home on the waterfront not wanting to risk a potential encounter with Gelthor. Hundolin had warned her that the young mer was waiting right outside of the Bloodworks entrance for her to emerge. Changing out of her armour into a simple robe Lilia had gone to the Bloated Float, a former ship that had been converted to the waterfront's local inn and tavern. After a short wait she'd been joined by Methredhel and Armand. The Bosmer had been very proud to show Lilia the collection of coin purses she'd removed from the spectators as they'd watched Lilia's match. She had reassured the new Grand Champion that she'd paused often enough in her work to see the proceedings on the sandy floor of the stadium.

In due time they had been joined by other waterfront residents; Lilia's upcoming match had been no secret among them. They'd often seen her come and go in her raiment and the visit of Agronak had not gone unnoticed. Most were in high spirits; they'd either made money by betting on her or by picking the pockets of the distracted crowd. The inn had been quickly filling up and Ormil had been a whirl of motion behind the bar tending to his thirsty and happy clientele. Synderius and Agronak had finally managed to join them; apparently they'd had to convince Gelthor that he needed to wait under the statue of Gaiden Shinji, and only under the statue of Gaiden Shinji, before they'd managed to shake him off. Lilia had watched as the two warriors had been greeted by the collection of thieves; it was an odd sight.

As the night wore on and the ale kept flowing the party had increased in attendance and volume. The ship had been so full that it ended up sitting several feet lower in the water than normal. Dynari Amnis had caught Synderius' eye and the two had quickly become inseparable. Meanwhile several instruments had been procured from parts unknown and a variety of drinking tunes were being sung loudly and badly by the motley group. Lilia's personal favourite had been _Captain Cyprith's Callipers._ She'd never heard the one about the one-armed pirate queen and her remarkable substitute appendage before.

By the time the rays of the sun had illuminated the grimy windows of the inn the gathering was winding down and the two Grand Champions had to take their leave to prepare for their meeting with the Elder Council. Synderius had long since disappeared, as had Dynari, but Lilia had said her fond farewells to the remainder of the group. She'd greatly enjoyed the evening. Arranging to meet with Agronak at White Gold Tower she'd slipped through the nearly deserted waterfront and into her small home.

Thoronir had begun stocking a collection of old clothing after Lilia had mentioned that she preferred some of the older fashions. The eodoric had been too lovely to resist; it was elegant without being revealing and she'd decided it would be the perfect thing to wear when dealing with nobility. Completing her toilette she'd mused on how even the upper classes had their uniforms for war; they equipped themselves with gracious words and cosmetics rather than steel armour and iron longswords. Satisfied that she'd made herself as regal as she could she'd moved invisibly through the streets. She'd abandoned all hope of anonymity after having worn her distinctive armour and removing her helmet in the Arena. Lilia hoped that somehow everyone would forget about her sooner rather than later. Agronak may have been comfortable with his fame but she certainly wasn't.

The Elder Council meeting had gone even better than she'd anticipated. Finding Countess Carvain and Count Hassildor in attendance had bolstered her spirits and she'd been delighted that Gortwog had recognized her. The last time she'd seen him she'd been thirteen years old and a mass of limbs and awkward angles; she'd just had a growth spurt. Lilia had wanted so badly to make a good impression on the noble King; she'd had a bit of a crush on him back then. Seeing him again she realized she still had a soft spot for the Orc. He'd aged well but the passage of over twenty years was evident on his face. Shaking her head at the remembrance as she walked on towards Chorrol Lilia couldn't suppress a large grin. Knowing that Gortwog was not only a powerful leader but also a fearsome warrior she'd tried to learn how to wield his weapon of choice, a battleaxe. Much to her embarrassment he'd seen her as she'd waved it around under the tutelage of one of his warriors in his courtyard in Orsinium. Trying to look better at it than she was she'd swung it quickly and powerfully to the left; the momentum had pulled her off balance and she'd gone sprawling to the ground, scraping her knees in the process. At least she'd performed somewhat better in the Arena but she was still a bit embarrassed that she'd fought in front of the King of Orsinium armed with a jester's staff, even if it was the best staff she'd ever used.

The large gates to Chorrol were open before her and Lilia quickly coated herself with invisibility magic. Not only did she not want to chat about yesterday's performance but she also had been asked to be discreet. Modryn's note had stressed the importance of her not being seen with him. She'd found his note slipped under her door, most likely by a courier. Lilia couldn't think of what the Dark Elf would want with her and was rather curious to find out. Making her way through the city she found his small home. From the way his figure was moving around he seemed to be practicing again. She was glad that none of the Arena combatants had possessed as much skill as the Dunmer. He moved with a speed and grace that had obviously been honed by years, perhaps decades, of experience. Too bad she really wasn't very good with a mace; she would certainly have tried to get lessons from him.

Softly knocking on the door she waited from him to open it; the last thing she was about to do was break into his house, especially when he was armed with his preferred weapon. Opening the door to find nothing in front of him Modryn broke out into a wide grin; his eyes seemed to flash with a wicked delight. He didn't close it until after she'd stepped in the living room and dropped her spell.

"Took you long enough. I've got another assignment for you; you're the only one who can do it. I've thought of another way to find out more information about the Blackwood Company."

* * *

"I won't drink it if you don't tell me what it is." Lilia was not about to swallow down a potion without knowing what it did. She couldn't identify it by smell; the scent was completely unfamiliar.

"You must drink it. All new recruits drink it. It helps you remain courageous in battle." Jeetum-Ze wasn't answering her questions and she gave him a dirty look. This idea of Modryn's was turning out to be more annoying than informative.

The Dunmer had convinced her that she needed to apply to become a Blackwood company mercenary, to act as a spy for him. As he'd pointed out she'd not done any work for the Fighter's Guild in over a month and would most likely be able to convince them that she wanted to join the mercenaries. The mer had said it was vital that they find out more information about what the Blackwood Company was up to in Leyawiin, and who Ri'Zakar was. She'd decided that it probably wouldn't hurt to try; it wasn't as if the Fighters Guild and the Blackwood Company were at war. Fighters Guild members were leaving the guild in a steady flow so her pretend defection shouldn't seem too unusual.

Jeetum-Ze had believed her tale that she'd become disenchanted with the guild and the lack of work. According to him the Blackwood Company had many contracts available and had escorted her down to the training room in the Leyawiin headquarters where he'd introduced her to some junior members. She'd been surprised that he'd told her she'd go out on a job that very day, just as soon as she drank a bottle of…something. Even though she was a vampire she wasn't about to down the thick liquid in the green bottle without first knowing what it contained.

"Courageous in battle? I'm the Grand Champion, I don't think you need to worry about my courage." She wasn't faking her offended tone. The Argonian narrowed his eyes at her; he was studying her. She gave him a disdainful look. He could expel her for all she cared; she and Modryn would come up with another plan. There was no way she would drink it without an answer.

"Hmm. You are, aren't you? In that case you don't need to take it. You get to lead the group. Drink up boys; you've got to get moving." Jeetum-Ze ensured that the Imperial, the Bosmer, and the Khajiit all downed the contents of their green bottles. He gave Lilia the instructions for the job and ushered them up the stairs and out through the front door.

With a sigh she led the group on foot away from Leyawiin and north along the Green road. They were to deal with a group of goblins that were attacking the nearby farming community of Water's Edge. Lilia tried to make small talk with the other fighters as they walked but the mercenaries seemed distracted and she abandoned the attempts. The closer they came to the small town the stranger the men started acting, glancing around quickly and behaving in a very paranoid fashion. It was rather unsettling for Lilia; she considered herself to be the craziest person she knew and their odd behaviour was making her question her sanity again. She really didn't like being in this region of the province; she always felt rather fragile. The Blackwood warrior's behaviour was not at all helping her state of mind.

"Goblin!" The Khajiit cried out and ran forward with his longsword. The Imperial and Bosmer took up the cry and followed. Lilia blinked several times in surprise; unless she had gone completely insane there weren't any goblins in sight. She didn't react until the Khajiit slaughtered a startled sheep and she suddenly realized that the mercenaries were about to massacre the livestock of Water's Edge. She was very pleased that she hadn't drunk the potion; as far as she could determine there were no spells upon the group so she assumed that their strange behaviour had been caused by the mystery contents of their little green bottles.

Lilia paralyzed the Khajiit with her magic and quickly wondered just what to do about the Bosmer and the Imperial. Despite her entreaties for them to stop attacking the defenceless sheep they were making short work of the animals. She wasn't good enough with her spell to paralyze more than one person at a time. She quickly tossed the Bosmer through the air and into the river with a telekinesis spell. As she went to do the same to the Imperial she was distressed to hear him cry out.

"Goblin!" The man was running towards a bewildered Breton who'd emerged from her home to investigate the noise. Lilia quickly snatched him back magically and tossed him to join the wet Bosmer, who still hadn't quit yelling about goblins.

"Run! Run to Leyawiin and bring back the guards!" Lilia called out to the shocked woman. "If you can't get the guards then get the Fighters Guild; tell them that they'll be paid 500 gold if they come straight here. And hurry!"

As the thoroughly frightened Breton ran quickly past her Lilia pondered what to do. The men were crazed, unable to hear reason under the influence of whatever they'd consumed. She didn't want to kill them; it seemed a bit harsh for something that most likely wasn't their fault. But she couldn't let them go free. In their current state they would most likely slaughter everything and everyone they encountered.

"Water goblin!" The Imperial was lunging towards a mud crab that was crawling along the bank. The Bosmer repeated the call and moved to kill off a mud crab of his own. She didn't interfere with their activities; perhaps if they killed enough of the creatures they'd eventually get tired.

As the minutes crept by and the banks of the river became devoid of life Lilia began to get nervous. The mercenaries were showing no signs of fatigue. Surely the potion couldn't last forever; she hadn't noticed any particularly crazed people in the Blackwood hall.

"Goblin!" The Bosmer pointed right at Lilia as he shouted. Not waiting for him to get any closer she tossed him into the middle of the river again, quickly sending the Imperial to join him. The mer and the man kept trying to get close to her, and she kept moving them back with telekinesis. If only she had some rope.

Glancing down the road Lilia frowned deeply; an invisible ball of purple was making its way towards the commotion. A will-o-the-wisp was heading right for her and Lilia fought her instinct to flee. The creatures had always frightened her since she was a child. The situation was not going well at all. With a flare of light the yellow ball became visible.

"Air goblin!" Lilia yelled as she pointed towards the will-o-the-wisp. To her immense pleasure the Wood Elf and the Imperial took up her cry. She moved away from them as the mercenaries began attacking the magical creature. Her telekinesis spell at the ready she watched as the Bosmer was drained of his life force by the wisp. If he came too close to death she'd pull him away from the fight. Perhaps he'd then be docile enough to deal with.

As she watched the battle she tried hard to push down her fear. Being so close to two crazed mercenaries and a will-o-the-wisp made her very edgy. The mer fainted and she dragged him quickly over to the river bank, making sure to deposit him far enough away from her and the village to give her time to react if he regained consciousness. The Imperial was now the subject of the wisp's draining magical attack. The speed of his sword slowed and he started staggering as his energy was sucked from his body. When he dropped to his knees Lilia pulled him away as well. She'd known that they had no chance of defeating the monster but she'd hoped that somehow this wisp wouldn't be immune to their unenchanted weapons.

Satisfied that the three mercenaries were currently incapacitated she sent out a stream of shock magicka into the yellow ball of glowing light. Walking backwards away from it, trying to maintain enough distance so that it couldn't attack her, she kept up her spell. After far longer than she liked the light faded away leaving a small residue of glowing dust on the dirt road. Checking she made sure that the mer, the man, and the Khajiit hadn't stirred before removing a gauntlet and scooping the dust up into a small empty leather pouch.

"Halt!"

"No, not her! Them! They killed my sheep." The Breton indicated that the guards should arrest the prone men rather than the now standing woman dressed in a strange mixture of armour. The soldiers gave her odd looks as they secured the stiff Khajiit and the exhausted yet unharmed Bosmer and Imperial. Lilia tucked the leather pouch into her bag and felt her hand brush against a little green bottle. She made her decision; this charade had gone on long enough. She had to talk to Modryn, her membership in the Blackwood Company be damned.


	70. Chapter 70: Timing and Luck

The golden grasses brushed against the ankles of her boots as she walked along the laneway, creating a soft whispering noise like distant rain. Judging by the dark clouds moving in it was very likely that actual rain would eventually arrive. The village looked much as it had during her last visit but subtle signs indicated that things were not the same. The people she passed didn't eye her with the same expression of boredom and apathy, the villagers were now curious as to who she was. Lilia could hear them gossip as she made her way to the Lord's manor. They recognized her armour.

"Careful now. I'm sure she's mad enough as it is; I don't want her tracking me down because you broke your neck on your unauthorized vacation." The deep voice came from behind a clump of overgrown bushes to her right as she stepped past the gate that awkwardly greeted all new arrivals to the manor. Years of neglect had rusted it into place.

"Careful? Ha! I'll have you know I'm more agile than a bloody Khajiiti acrobat. You don't need to tell me to be…ah!" The Dark Elf on the roof toppled over as he waved his hammer at the ground. Lilia caught him with a telekinesis spell before he landed on a clump of painful looking milk thistles.

"Lilia! I'm glad you could make it!" Lord Lovidicus stepped into view and gave her a friendly hug.

"Looks like I'm just in time. Why was that clumsy s'wit running around on your roof?" She nodded at Synderius as he made his way over to join them, grumbling softly about distractions as he did so.

"I'm not clumsy. In fact, I'm always praised highly for just how well I can move." The Dunmer gave her a wink before he hugged her and she laughed. The mer was such a filthy fetcher; she simply adored it.

"I wouldn't know. But what were you two doing?"

"The roof has a few leaks. We were trying to fix it before the storm came in."

"A few leaks? You could stay drier by living under a waterfall." Synderius teased Agronak. Lilia looked up at the roof and noted several holes ranging in size from small to far too large. She then noted the piles of boards that had obviously been purchased recently. Looking from one to the other she smiled brightly; it was a strange idea but would most likely prove highly entertaining. The clouds were thick and grey but as she squinted off into the distance she could see that they had at least a couple of hours before they would need to take shelter.

"Tell me, have you two ever had any training in mysticism? Because I have an idea of how we can get this roof fixed without risking anyone's neck." Pulling off her gauntlets Lilia questioned them with a mischievous smile.

"I recognize that look. This is going to be fun, isn't it? Rather than painful?" Synderius had seen that expression more than a few times during their training sessions in the Arena.

"It'll only get painful if either of you two get too foolish; I'll correct you as I see fit. Now close your eyes and relax your mind. Give me your hand." She grabbed Agronak's in her right and Synderius' in her left. Lilia knew that the two of them had at least some magical instruction; both were skilled enough to heal themselves. Lilia taught them how to use telekinesis by casting the spell through them. They picked it up after a bit of practice.

The three laughed hard as they patched the roof, magically tossing up boards and nailing them into place. Lilia had Synderius and Agronak move the boards with magic while she controlled the nails and hammer; as the two light-heartedly insulted each other back and forth she was glad for her decision. As it was they occasionally tossed things magically at each other, including milk thistles, small rocks, and clumps of mud. She zapped them when they started to get too out of hand; she couldn't imagine the damage they would cause if she let either of them wield the hammer. By the time the first drops of rain began to fall the roof was mended. Terribly ugly, but mended. The mer and the half Orc hadn't been able to hold the boards very straight and it looked like a wooden patchwork quilt sewn by a group of blind drunken grannies. At least they'd be dry.

"Come in. Let me show you the place." Agronak's pride could be heard in his voice. As he guided her through the neglected manor, ignoring the sarcastic comments of the Dunmer who followed, Lilia felt very happy. It was so nice to see that not only had he realized his dream but also that he'd obviously abandoned the concept of being some sort of half monster. Finishing the tour he brought her into the main hall. New furniture stood in sharp contrast to the mildewed and peeling wallpaper and damp stained wood floors. A blackened fireplace surrounded by a large white marble mantle sat on the far wall. The windows were uncovered but mostly intact; carefully fitted boards blocked out the water that the wind pushed against the missing panes of glass. The place had potential but would take a lot of work to make it presentable again. Lilia wondered just how much the former Grand Champion had saved in his long career. Hopefully he'd kept almost all of his winnings; he would need every septim he could get. It would take a while before the village of Crowhaven began to generate any sort of income.

Synderius piled some dry logs into the fireplace and set them ablaze with a small blast of magic. Lilia watched as she removed her armour; she didn't want to damage Agronak's new furniture, though a few rips and stains would certainly help the pristine sofa and chairs match the décor. The Dark Elf began tending to dinner. The cooking apparatus from the fireplace in the kitchen had been brought into the room. He appeared to be making stew; it would be a few hours before it would be ready to serve.

Lilia settled herself on the sofa closest to Agronak's chair and accepted his offered bottle of mead. The mer was softly humming a tune as he worked; she recognized the song as _Captain Cyprith's Calipers_. Lilia resisted the impulse to start singing and instead chose to chat with the new Lord Lovidicus, who didn't look particularly noble at the moment. There was a spot of mud above his left eyebrow that must have fallen from a piece that Synderius had aimed at his head. She mimed for him to wipe his brow.

"The crazy mer's been here for six days already. I'm afraid he's too scared to ever return to the Arena; he didn't tell Ysabel he was leaving." The Lord said as he rubbed his sleeve on his forehead.

"I'm not scared of her. I just wanted a vacation, so I took the opportunity to explore the province and meet the people." Synderius pointed at Agronak as he spoke and Lilia couldn't help but giggle. He was holding a long strip of mutton in his hand that flopped about limply as he gestured. Noticing her mirth he gave her a lewd wink, causing her to laugh loudly.

"Are you the same woman who met with the High Chancellor? Because I remember you being far more dignified." Agronak muttered at her before looking at the Dark Elf. "And you certainly met the people, didn't you? Should I tell her about your adventure in Anvil or will you?"

"Fetcher." Synderius was now concentrating on the food in front of him with a frown.

"Adventure in Anvil? What were you doing in Anvil?" Lilia was very curious.

"The local ladies of the village weren't quite to his tastes so he went off to the city to seek out some company. Seems he found more company than he could handle."

"I could handle them fine. They just had me at a disadvantage. I didn't have my sword, I was only armed with my rather large…gah!"

Agronak had smacked the Dunmer in the head with an onion. Lilia dissolved in a fit of giggles; she'd hoped that they'd figure out the other uses for telekinesis. It was a rather useful and most entertaining spell.

"He got his money stolen by a group of tarts. And he refused to complain to the watch."

"What was I going to tell them? That a trio of harlots took advantage of an Arena Gladiator? I wasn't about to become the laughingstock of the guards." Synderius was emphasizing his words with the kitchen knife in his hands. The knife came to rest pointing right at Lilia. "Hmm, but now you know, don't you? You'll fix it for me, won't you?"

"Me? What can I do?" Lilia was very surprised at the questions.

"I don't know. I'm sure you'll think of something; that's what you do. You did a favour for this pompous Orcling; I think it's time you did one for me." He gave her a lascivious grin and lowered his voice to a purr. "I'm sure I could think of a way to thank you properly. I am rather an expert with my rather large…gah! Stop that!" Synderius was flapping his hands about in the air trying to fend off the onion and the carrot that were beating themselves magically against his head to the sound of the heavy laughter of two highly amused Grand Champions.

* * *

He had to know. But how could he know? Could he read minds? She was sure he couldn't. But then why else would he come up with a plan like this, other than for revenge? Lilia frowned at the bowl of soup in front of her and then quickly rearranged her lips back into a beguiling smile. She was supposed to be competition, and looking grumpy was normally not considered attractive. She sighed and felt her ribs push against the confines of the corset. 

Captain Lex had given her a friendly greeting when she'd found him making his rounds throughout the city. He'd happily shown off his newly returned ring, delightedly baffled by its mysterious reappearance. Lilia was glad to see him in such good spirits. She'd broached the topic of Synderius' problems without mentioning the mer's name and had been surprised by what Hieronymus had told her.

A gang of female thieves was preying on the sailors who passed through the port town. They'd lure them away to a secluded cabin, convince them to take off all of their clothes, and then threaten the naked and vulnerable men with violence to get them to leave their valuable possessions behind. So far the victims had been too ashamed to make a formal complaint and Captain Lex and his men could do nothing further unless they had more proof. It had only been by overhearing whispered pieces of gossip that he knew what was happening in the first place.

As he'd spoken he'd given Lilia an appraising look. She'd been very surprised when he'd asked if she still owned her yellow dress. Though she technically did she'd told him that it wasn't readily available; it was buried deep within her bag so she spoke the relative truth. Much to her chagrin he'd led her to the castle and the evidence room in the barracks, explaining his cunning plan along the way. While she didn't like it she couldn't fault him for his logic, creative though it was. She really didn't like the outfit they'd managed to find her; where her yellow gown had been suggestive this pink one was nothing short of overt. She'd insisted he dig out a cloak for her before she'd leave the room; there was no way she was about to wander past a group of guards dressed like a trollop. He'd insisted she get herself made up before he'd let her leave; it had been rather unsettling to have him inspect her as she did. He'd even offered suggestions on how she could make up her lips for stronger impact; the man certainly had an artist's eye.

Fortunately his eyes hadn't conveyed any ignoble thoughts when he'd pronounced himself satisfied with her appearance. Lilia was far less satisfied; she felt she looked like a high-class whore. Which was exactly the effect he'd wanted to achieve. She'd made her way back out of the barracks scowling heavily at the guards she'd passed, the slightly too short white cloak wrapped tightly around her. Much to her delight they'd seemed almost frightened by her angry expression. Once in the courtyard she'd needed to resist the impulse to use her magic to go invisible; it wouldn't do to suddenly appear on the waterfront or in the Flowing Bowl.

Which is where Lilia was currently seated, a delightful bowl of authentic Bosmeri soup in front of her, and an unfortunately delighted Bosmeri innkeeper standing behind the counter trying hard not to stare too obviously. She pushed down the urge to set the mer on fire; he wasn't the only one looking at her. Instead she gave him a bright smile and a sly wink and watched him blush before he suddenly needed to wipe down the mugs behind him. Lilia kept her mind focused on the whispered conversation in the corner between the Nord and Imperial women as she stared at the floating pieces of meat in the broth.

"…but where did she come from? Why now?"

"You worry too much Signy. It would be good to have someone else besides a Khajiit working with us. A new face."

"How do you know she'd even consider joining us?"

"Look at the way she's tormenting Caenlorn. She's obviously a professional; I'm sure she'd be happy to retire from the life while still earning the pay."

"Faustina, that's Maenlorn. Fine, try and recruit her if you want. But I'm not losing any of my cut."

"Of course not. We'll reduce Tsarrina's take. She hasn't brought back anyone in ages, except for that crazy Dark Elf who kept talking about Khajiiti acrobats."

"Mmm, how could I forget him? You know, I was rather tempted not to shove him out so quickly. He did have a rather large…"

"Can I buy you a drink?" Lilia was startled by the Bosmer standing next to her; she'd been so engrossed in the whispered conversation between the women she hadn't noticed his approach. She looked up and was surprised to see a very attractive Wood Elf giving her a rather friendly smile.

"I'd like that. Thank you…"

"Thurindil. You'll have to order it for both of us; Maenlorn doesn't understand me. Most people don't understand me, actually." He placed a few septims on the counter and sat down next to her. Before she could ask him to clarify his remarks the innkeeper started trying to shoo him away.

"I'm sorry miss, Thurindil's harmless but completely out of his gourd. I'll see to it that he stops pestering you." The mer behind the counter was now swatting the one beside her with his towel.

As Thurindil protested Lilia became aware of what he'd meant by nobody understanding him. Whereas she could clearly hear the colourful insults the sailor was flinging at the barkeep she could also hear that it was coming out as gibberish to everyone else, twisted by daedric magic. Now she really didn't want Thurindil to leave just yet. She had to fix this; apparently the handsome mer was her responsibility.

"No, that's quite alright. I'm fine, thank you. Two jaggas please." Lilia grabbed the towel mid-flap and let her hand slide suggestively along it before letting go. The distraction worked and Maenlorn stared at the towel for a few seconds before preparing two mugs of jagga. Lilia leaned over and whispered into Thurindil's ear. "Is there someplace we can talk? Alone?"

"I've got a room upstairs. Are you sure you don't want to finish your soup first?" He was surprised by her bold approach.

"Don't worry about the soup. It's not food that I'm after." She picked up her mug and stood, realizing as she did so that the mer's eyes were now at a rather unfortunate level. He quickly grabbed his jagga and led her towards the stairs. The poor mer. He had no idea of who he'd chosen to flirt with or what she was really after.

* * *

"…professional. She didn't even turn down a crazy Bosmer." Lilia could hear the whispers as she stepped back down the stairs. Thurindil was still in his room, recovering from what had just happened. She hoped he didn't emerge until sometime tomorrow after she'd dealt with the thieves. Not that he would be able to tell anyone what had occurred. 

"Ysmir's beard! She's back already."

"That was fast. She has to be a pro. Look, she didn't even muss her hair. I'm going to grab her before anyone else does."

As Lilia walked back towards her still warm bowl of soup she noticed the black haired Imperial leave the blond Nord and make her way over towards the counter. Slowing her pace she let the woman meet her in the middle of the room. Maenlorn gave her a strange look; he didn't seem to approve of her choice of companions.

Faustina kept it direct and short. She told Lilia that she had a business proposition for her that she couldn't discuss in the inn and that Lilia was to meet her at Gweden Farm, a small cottage outside of town in an hour. Watching the saucy Imperial leave the tavern Lilia sighed. The blasted man's plan had worked after all.

* * *

It was a strange sensation. His whole body was covered in what felt like cool air, but it didn't make him feel cold inside. Moving through the open doorway he glanced around; it was a nice set up. The wooden walls were covered with red velvet draperies and a large bed sat prominently in the middle of the room. Side tables held silver goblets and bottles of wine. Candles burned in the sconces around the room, casting a warm glow through the space. It was a very inviting and intimate atmosphere. 

"You've decided to come. Wonderful. I'm Faustina. What's your name?"

"You can call me anything you like, for the right price." Lilia winked at the Imperial woman and Hieronymus had to stifle a chuckle. She was doing a wonderful job at playing the part.

"My proposition isn't quite like that, though I'm glad to know you are so open-minded." Faustina held out a silver goblet filled with red wine. "What is your real name?"

"Lyra." Lilia took the glass but didn't move to sip it.

"Tell me Lyra, have you ever considered retiring?" Faustina asked.

"A girl can dream, can't she? Especially when she spends so much time in bed." The Imperial and the pretend prostitute laughed at the joke.

"Well said. We've got a good little operation going on here and I think your assets would be an asset to our team."

As Faustina explained the way the gang worked Lex listened intently. Between his testimony and Lilia's they had more then enough evidence to put the conniving women behind bars.

"Faustina, have you seen my blue dress? I thought you borrowed it…" A Khajiit had entered from a door in the wall. She was staring at Lilia. "What is she doing here?"

"You know her?" Faustina was confused and Lilia certainly seemed to be as well.

"You brought the Grand Champion back to our cottage?" At the Khajiit's question Faustina pulled out a small dagger. Lex paused briefly; he'd heard the rumours but hadn't believed them. The poor woman; the alchemy business must be terrible if she'd taken to fighting in the Arena. Deciding that now was the time Hieronymus stepped forward and unsheathed his sword, Lilia's invisibility spell falling away as he spoke.

"You're all under arrest. I suggest you come along peacefully…"

"Ah! Godsdamned mortals!" Lilia had jumped in front of the small fireball that Faustina had sent at him; the magical fire seemed to be absorbed into her by magic. He realized that they weren't going to come peacefully.

"Signy! Get up here now!" The Khajiit yelled down the stairs as she pulled out the elven dagger strapped to her waist. She was eyeing Hieronymus as he watched her in return. Khajiits could move very fast and he didn't want to attack first, leaving himself open to a counterattack. The elven dagger looked very sharp.

"Bitch! That was a new dress!" Lilia yelled at Faustina as she paralyzed her. The Imperial toppled over to the luxurious carpet. Lilia ran with a surprising speed to the table at the side of the room. She whirled around to face the Khajiit and the angry Signy who had just emerged from the staircase. Lex could see scorch marks where the fireball had hit her scandalous outfit. With a snarl Lilia began hurling wine bottles at the ceiling above the two thieves. Lex stepped back; broken glass and wine was falling down upon them.

"Still want to resist?" Lilia was now coated in a layer of flames and the two women shrank back. They were soaked with alcohol and realized just what the angry faux whore was hinting at. Signy and the Khajiit meekly allowed Lex to shackle them; Lilia still hadn't extinguished her magical fire.

He stepped out and signalled for his group of guards stationed further down the path to join him in the cottage. In the meantime Lilia had disappeared down into the basement. As Lex directed his men to escort the women back to the dungeons he wondered what she was doing down there. When she returned to the main floor, wearing a very large man's shirt on top of the ruined pink dress he smiled to himself. She'd complained bitterly at his choice in apparel and he'd wondered just how an alchemist had picked up such colourful language. Probably in the Arena.

"May I take this?" She asked him as she pointed down at the shirt. He couldn't see any reason why not; while it was most likely stolen it hadn't been reported as such.

"Are you sure you don't want a monetary reward? You've been a big help; I don't know how else we could have done this." He was sure she needed the money. He wanted to help her out in some way; Hieronymus was starting to think of her as a sort of good luck charm. She'd helped him recover the bust of Llathasa, she'd been the one to deliver the news of his transfer, and now she'd helped him break up a gang of thieves. He even had his ring back; he'd abandoned hope of ever seeing it again years ago. And for the first time in ages he dared dream of further advancement in his career; things were going very well for him in Anvil and his men were shaping up to be an orderly and respectful group. Somehow he associated her with all of these things even though he knew she hadn't been responsible for any of them.

"Thank you, but this is all I need. You're a fine man to make the offer. Take care of yourself Captain Lex. I hope to see you again." She nodded to him as she walked towards the door.

"Farewell Lilia." He said to her retreating back. He didn't know why she kept calling him a fine man but it was a nice thing to hear. He'd heard much worse in the last few years. With a sigh he focused his attention on the task at hand. He hoped to see the alchemist again someday; he was very curious as to what else would happen with her around.


	71. Chapter 71: Madness

"Hist sap." Modryn put the small bottle onto the table. Lilia leant forward in her chair to look at it closer. It seemed far more ominous than she remembered.

"Hist sap? But that's illegal to remove from Black Marsh. And they're giving it to non-Argonians?" Lilia was horrified at the concept.

"Oh, but it gets worse. It's bad hist sap. The source is tainted." His words caused to Lilia frown down at the green bottle. This was not good news.

"This situation can't continue any longer. We have to strike against them now. Are you coming with me?" Modryn moved about his home as he asked, gathering his equipment and putting on his armour. Lilia felt as though she'd missed a part of the conversation.

"Coming with you where?"

"To Leyawiin. We can't let Ri'Zakar continue his reprehensible activities." The Dark Elf stopped moving and gave her an intent stare. She could see he was deadly serious.

"Modryn, wait. We can't just march into the Blackwood Company and kill him. We need to work with the authorities; I'd rather not see you rot in prison for such a noble act. They're smuggling hist sap. That is illegal. Very illegal. We should have no trouble convincing the guards to arrest him, especially since we have physical proof. And perhaps the testimony of the three mercenaries that accompanied me. That is, if they've recovered yet." From the last report Modryn had received from a contact in Leyawiin the Bosmer, the Imperial, and the Khajiit were still not entirely back to normal. At least they'd stopped shouting about elemental goblins.

Lilia had returned to Modryn's after her misadventures on the bank of the Panther River. He'd kept the bottle, telling her that he knew someone who could identify it for them, and had ushered her out with a warning to keep on the move. He obviously thought that the Blackwood Company would take some sort of retaliatory action against her. He needn't have bothered with the order though; she traveled frequently enough on her own. Though her activities were more social visits than meaningful work nowadays.

Lilia had visited Bruma, where Carius had been full of his backwards compliments about her fighting prowess and her new title. He'd gone as part of the Count and Countess' escort to the Imperial City and had seen the match. She'd had to resist her desire to pummel him with the oranges she'd brought him. She'd also had tea in Bravil and tea in Skingrad, leaving her to wonder just what it would be like if Fathis, Janus, and herself all sat down together one day. Perhaps she could invite them to her shack on the waterfront; the idea of entertaining the luxury loving Count and Court Wizard with her random assortment of crockery and her unpadded wooden chairs amused her greatly.

She'd spent two days in Crowhaven. She'd changed before returning to the manor but had forgotten to clean her face, resulting in Synderius giving her some very meaningful looks. Not wanting to encourage his obvious line of thinking she'd zapped him randomly throughout dinner and the evening until he was thoroughly irritated with her. She was fairly sure he'd never dare look at her that way again. She had no desire to see if the rumours were true. Lilia had stayed overnight, stealthily cleaning the unused kitchen while the other two slept. The labour had kept her thoughts occupied during the quiet hours. Agronak had been astonished at the change and she'd told him that she'd woken early; he didn't need to know that it was hours of magic that had blasted away the soot stains from the fireplace and repaired the plaster walls. There was still much work to be done but at least she'd helped along his progress. The Grey Prince seemed to be working harder in his retirement then he ever had as Grand Champion.

Returning to the Imperial City she'd spent a very long day at the Arcane University; Maranique was no longer attending council meetings. Lilia and Raminus had the council chambers to themselves. The Arch Mage was definitely enjoying his role, though he still lectured her frequently about her bad habit of endangering her life and roaming the province. While she found the work interesting and necessary Lilia had no desire to retain her seat on the council forever. Once they'd gotten the guild into a more stable place and had chosen a few more council members she had every intention of retiring from her duties.

After a late visit with Methredhel and Carwen in their small home she'd returned to find a note from Modryn in her shack. Lilia had come straight to Chorrol and was beginning to question the wisdom of her choice; she was starting to feel rather thirsty. It had been days since she'd last fed. The fear of sleeping tended to dominate the desire for blood; she was terrified that one day she would never wake from her nightmares again. At least her last few sleeps had been dreamless.

"Perhaps you're right. Either way we need to go to Leyawiin. You are coming with me, right?"

"Of course." Lilia couldn't sit back knowing that the Blackwood company was feeding its mercenaries tainted hist sap. The hist trees were revered in Black Marsh, forming a loose basis for several tribes' religions. Consuming the sap of the hist was a ritual that only Argonians performed and only in a holy way. The effects on non-Argonians were not known; the people of Black Marsh did not share the magic of the hist trees with others. The effects of bad hist sap were all too apparent to Lilia and Modryn. If Ri'Zakar's men were allowed to roam freely under its influence then more innocent blood would be shed, and not just that of innocent sheep.

"Then get your ass off my chair and let's go. I've already reserved your horse."

* * *

Lilia sighed deeply. Even though powerful warriors surrounded her she was still very nervous. They were about to break into the headquarters of the Blackwood Company and she had been chosen to be the first through the doors.

Actually, Modryn had volunteered her to enter first. The Leyawiin guards and Fighters Guild members weren't skilled in magic and she didn't know if the mercenaries had any mages on their side. She sincerely hoped they didn't. As it was she was sure that she'd meet with a barrage of arrows. Looking through the walls she could see the figures arranged in defensive positions on the upper level, clearly standing with their arms ready to fire a bow. Their blood pulsed through their bodies and Lilia watched, transfixed by the beautiful sight. She barely noticed her fangs extend to press against her lips.

"Are you ready?" Decentius Opsius' voice cut into her thoughts and Lilia quickly nodded as she tried to retract her fangs. The Imperial Captain of the Guards gave her a smile in encouragement. He'd been assigned to lead the group by Count Caro. The Count of Leyawiin had been quickly convinced of the merits of the operation; Lilia had made sure to emphasize the positive rewards that he would receive from arresting Ri'Zakar. The points about showing the Elder Council how decisive he could be as well as her promises of his enhanced reputation among his Argonian citizens seemed to have been the concepts that had captured his interest. Her talk of justice and innocents had been rather ignored.

The Leyawiin City Watch had tried convincing Ri'Zakar to come quietly but the Blackwood mercenaries had bolted the door and refused any attempts to communicate. Meanwhile Modryn had recruited the few remaining Fighters Guild members in town to join the group; the men had been very glad to help. The Blackwood Company had left them without work in weeks. Decentius and Modryn had held a quick strategy session, with Lilia eavesdropping, and they'd come up with a plan to fight their way in. There hadn't been many options.

As Lilia watched Decentius gave the signal and a group of his men charged the door, carrying a large battering ram between them. The heavy wooden doors burst in on the second blow and Lilia ran forward past the men, shield spell as strong as she could make it around her.

She was pleased to find only arrows bouncing off of her. As the guards and Fighters Guild members moved in she remembered Modryn's instructions. She was to try and keep their side alive by healing and aiding where possible, the mer had implored her not to wander off or get distracted with fighting. Lilia had no problem with that idea and she glanced quickly around at the battle, occasionally pulling a guard out of the way of a sword or sending a healing spell into an injured guild member. Modryn was cutting through the Blackwood mercenaries with his mace; it was amazing to see him fight. He was a formidable and terrifying vision to behold.

The scent of blood assailed her nose and she started breathing through her mouth. Lilia hung back towards the rear, out of the way of the fighters. She was sending out spells more frequently now; while the company didn't have all hundred members present there were many mercenaries who refused to surrender. At least none of them seemed insensible and she found herself not overly concerned if they lived or died. The thought of what could have happened had she drunk the tainted hist sap before going to Water's Edge had hardened her heart against them.

Looking around Lilia noticed that Modryn was missing. The guards and Fighters Guild warriors were clearly winning the battle and she risked a glance upwards. A lone figure was charging up the staircase to a Khajiit and an Argonian. The mer had gone off to face Ri'Zakar and Jeetum-Ze alone. Lilia didn't even think about it; she ran through the group and up the stairs after him. If Modryn had left the others behind then he must have considered the battle over. Lilia knew first hand how foolish it was to run off without aid and she wasn't about to stand by and let the Dark Elf get himself killed in his noble quest.

She was glad of her choice when she magically pulled him back out of the reach of Ri'Zakar's claymore, which was moving towards his unprotected right side. Modryn's right arm had been busy pushing back the silver longsword of Jeetum-Ze. The Dunmer wasn't as glad; he swore at her in thanks before running after the Khajiit.

"You traitorous bitch." Jeetum-Ze hissed at her as he moved forward. Lilia was enraged at the words; she remembered all too well the insult that Lucien had spat at her in the Night Mother's crypt. But unlike that time she wasn't silenced. With a cruel smile she grabbed him magically and held him aloft on the other side of the balcony, three stories above the floor below.

"Coward. Face me like a warrior. Put me down." The Argonian was furious. From the sounds below she could tell that the battle was pretty much won; the guards were warning each other about the floating mercenary rather than insulting the Blackwood fighter's mothers.

"With pleasure." Lilia let both her spell and Jeetum-Ze fall, but not before making sure that he was oriented head down. She watched the screaming Argonian as he plummeted to the tile floor below. Death was instantaneous.

"That was unusual but effective." Modryn's quiet voice snapped her out of her mental fog; she'd barely been aware of what she was doing. Anger had been the only thing guiding her actions. Lilia grabbed the balcony railing and tried to steady her thoughts. Going into battle unfed had been a very poor choice.

"Any more?" The Dunmer pointed down and Lilia looked with her mind. She couldn't see any other figures besides the celebrating guards and fighters. Looking at the Dunmer she was pleased to find him relatively intact. Even his Mohawk had weathered the fight with Ri'Zakar.

"No. That's the lot. It's over."

"Not yet." Modryn held out a strange key; Lilia could sense the magic that was embedded in it. Whatever lock it opened would be immune to both lock picks and open spells. Whatever lock it opened must have something very important hidden behind it. "Let's see if we can find where this goes."

As they methodically searched Lilia pondered the whims of the Divines. They'd kept her a vampire, had pushed her into the Fighters Guild, the Mages Guild, and the Arena, and had essentially abandoned her. She had no idea what they wanted her to do anymore. She didn't have any ideas herself.

The lock was found; it was attached to a door on the main floor of the building. Opening it Lilia could feel the strange magic that emanated up the stairs. Modryn seemed to sense it too and he indicated for her to go first. She made her way into a section of the basement that was separate from the training rooms. She was astonished to see a gnarled tree, pulsing with magic, growing in the midst of a strange assortment of machinery. Lilia took off her gauntlets and slowly stepped towards it, wanting to touch it, to experience its alluring magic. Diseased though it was it seemed to be the most beautiful thing she'd ever seen.

"No!" Modryn pulled her back; he'd smashed the whirling machinery and as a result a burst of fire flashed up. The flames consumed the tree as Lilia watched and she tried hard not to cry; there was something so inherently sad with the situation. The world of Nirn was losing a hist.

"Come on. Let's go have a drink at the guild hall." Modryn was guiding her along as if she were a lost child. Lilia shook him off. She had to get out of here; she needed to feed. And there was something else she needed to do.

"I can't. I have to go."

"Go? But we need to go back to Chorrol. I need to tell Vilena what we've done." The mer was not happy about her words.

"I'm sorry. I'll meet you in Chorrol tomorrow, but I can't go right now." Lilia was trying to master a sudden desire to flee, to leave this place of dead trees and dead mercenaries. She really wasn't feeling quite herself.

"Tomorrow. But you better be there." Modryn sounded rather grumpy and Lilia gave him a quick pat on the arm before leaving him behind. She made her way past the guards and the fighters, nodding as she moved through them, not hearing their happy words. There was something she needed to get and instead of heading towards the gates of Leyawiin Lilia made her way to an orange coloured plaster house that smelt faintly of brimstone.

* * *

Lilia prayed to the Nine as she felt her body go numb. The Staff of the Everscamp and the shrine in Darkfathom cave had been dealt with. There wasn't any more that she could do. She felt sleep descend on her, but instead of a cozy comforting blanket it felt like a heavy weight that was crushing her to the floor of her home. She'd dragged a paralyzed and terrified bandit who'd tried to rob her on the road all the way to and through Darkfathom cave. Her work complete she'd drained the Khajiit dry before incinerating him and teleporting back to her shack. She'd been unable to pull herself over to her bed and Lilia closed her eyes, no longer able to hold out against sleep.

She was seated on her throne dressed in full regalia. She was bored; and her people didn't like it when she was bored. Clapping her hands she waited for the dancer to emerge, looking forward to the graceful movements of the lithe mortal. Instead she was surprised to find a beast, vaguely shaped like a man, appear before her. She rather liked surprises. He was covered in green scales and had large webbed hands, which he held out to her. She took one and they began to dance around the room; the creature danced well and she smiled into its fishlike eyes. It pleased her, this entertainment. She'd have to reward her steward.

The creature smiled at her, its mouth full of razor sharp teeth. She watched fascinated as he bit into her arm. Blood filled her mouth, cold blood, and she closed her eyes.

Opening them she found her arm in her mouth, her teeth sunk deep into the flesh. Removing her fangs from her arm she stared down in confusion at the bleeding punctures. This had to be fixed; she needed her lettuce. Looking around she realized that there was no lettuce visible in her home. The bastards had hidden it from her.

The mattress. They must have put it in the mattress. Tearing it open she found that the lettuce wasn't there. They couldn't have taken it far; she would know if they'd done that. It had to be here in the room.

The teapot! They must have put it in the teapot. Snatching off the lid she looked in to find nothing there. Clever; they'd put the lettuce inside the crockery itself. She sent the teapot flying to crash against the stone hearth. No pieces of lettuce came out and she frowned. Perhaps they'd put it in her other dishes.

Plates, bowls, and cups were all smashed against the floor but no lettuce was found. But there was now a rhythmic pounding in her ears. They were at her door.

"Lilia! Are you okay? Open the door!" She shook her head; they were obviously confused. There was no Lilia here. Opening the door she found a little Bosmer with large brown eyes staring at her. The mer must know where her lettuce was. She grabbed her by the hair and pulled her inside. This had gone on long enough.

"Ow! What are you doing? Damn it Lilia, let me go…Gods, what happened? Are you okay? Damn it, let go of my hair!" She studied the flailing Wood Elf, confused as to why she kept calling her Lilia. Didn't the mer know who she was dealing with?

"Where is my lettuce?" She shook the mer's head as she asked. If the Bosmer didn't start cooperating she was afraid she'd get angry. Nobody liked it when she was angry, especially herself.

"Lettuce? You hate lettuce. Let. Me. Go!" The mer punched her in the head and she released her grip before staggering back towards the bed.

"Lilia, what in the Nine Hells is wrong with you?" Methredhel was shouting at her and she didn't know why. Something had happened; her home was in shambles and the mer was furious. Why did her head hurt so much? Why was her arm bleeding?

Lilia sent restoration magic into herself as her mind processed what had just occurred. She'd lost herself to insanity for a while there; she'd been about to hurt Methredhel badly. The mer noticed her look of fear and instinctually moved forward to comfort the terrified woman sitting on the edge of the ruined bed.

"No. Get out." Lilia pushed the upset mer out the door with her telekinesis spell. She locked the door magically and coated the walls with her silence spell. No longer could she hear Methredhel, and the mer couldn't hear her.

Which was a good thing considering Lilia was now making a desperate haunting sound of pure agony, which lasted until she ran out of air.


	72. Chapter 72: Hand of Fate

"Here goes. We might as well face her together." Modryn gave her a small smile and Lilia tried to smile back. She knew who she was but she didn't know how long that would last. The images of what she'd done to Methredhel, and what she'd wanted to do to Methredhel, still played through her mind. The potential anger of the Fighter's Guild Master didn't concern her in the slightest. She was still trying to figure out where she could hide herself away, trapping herself for eternity. Lilia wasn't safe to be around others anymore.

She followed Modryn up to Vilena's office in the Chorrol guild hall. The Imperial's annoyed shouts barely registered; Lilia was too busy thinking about her options. Gutted Mine was a possibility; perhaps she could create a rock fall at the entrance and seal herself in.

The Dark Elf was now talking, calmly explaining things to the stunned Master. She paid them no heed as she thought about Hindaril's cave. It was small and in an isolated region; unlike the mine there was far less chance that one day mortals would try to enter seeking out silver and fortune.

Vilena was praising them both but her words meant nothing. Lilia rejected the idea; the cave was too small, too close to the surface of Nirn. She wanted to bury herself deeper, down as far as she could go. Perhaps Darkfathom cave would work. It would be fitting to hide herself there.

"…to Champion. What do you say?" Modryn was speaking to her and she blinked up at him. Lilia had no idea what he was talking about but he seemed very happy. She faked a smile and nodded vaguely. It didn't matter what she agreed to, she would leave town right after this. She sincerely hoped she never saw the mer again. It would be best for all concerned.

"Good! That felt kind of nice." He was speaking to Vilena.

"The novelty wears off after a while. Congratulations Master." Vilena patted the Dark Elf on the shoulder and Lilia finally understood what had happened. The Imperial had retired after naming Modryn as the new Master of the guild. Lilia had been promoted to Champion. It was just what she needed, yet another title. She had far too many already.

"Come, let me buy you both a drink. I want to hear the whole story." The Imperial woman was smiling but Lilia could sense the underlying sadness within her. What she wouldn't give to trade places with Vilena, to merely have to cope with the loss of one's children. Lilia felt the woman had no idea what it meant to be sad.

"I wish I could but I have to go. Mages Guild business." Lilia lied. She had no business with any guild anymore.

"You don't even have time for one drink?" Modryn sounded a bit hurt as he asked.

"I wish I did, but I'm afraid I don't. Good luck to both of you." Lilia nodded politely at them and walked down the staircase. She couldn't stay with them; she was terrified that she'd lose her resolve. Moving through the town of Chorrol she nodded politely at everyone she passed whether they greeted her or not. Her face was a mask as she berated herself for her weakness. Why couldn't she bring herself to end it? As long as she survived she would be a threat, a menace to the world of Nirn. No matter how much she chastised herself for her cowardice she knew she couldn't do it. There was still too much Lilia left in her to permit herself to commit suicide. Perhaps in a few years, after she'd lost all traces of who she'd used to be, she'd finally be able to accomplish her goal but until then she needed to lock herself away. The danger was too great.

Walking down the empty road she looked around trying to engrave every detail into her memory. The fading sunlight sparkled against the leaves of the trees and the cloudless sky was an intense blue. The weather was unseasonably warm for the first of Rain's Hand. A deer ran across the road in front of her and she almost wept at the sight. She would miss it so much; this delightful work of Kynareth's, the sunsets and the wind and the stars. It would be dark soon. Darkness was all she was fit for and darkness is what she'd seek out.

The familiar peaked roof of Weynon Priory appeared before her and for the first time Lilia didn't curse the Gods at the sight. She wasn't sure they even existed any more. Lilia had thought that she'd been under the influence of the Nine, that Stendarr had used her to defeat the Night Mother. But she no longer had faith in even that fact. Perhaps she'd imagined it all; what proof did she have that it had been the Divines that had aided her? Maybe she'd been insane the entire time, convincing herself to do risky and foolish things under the auspices of providence.

Even if the Gods had worked through her she knew that they'd abandoned her, tired of their plaything. Bitter memories from a year ago flashed into her mind and she stifled a sob. So much had happened in the last year; Lilia had actually felt proud of herself at a few points during that time. She'd been such a fool. The remembrances of the faith she'd clung to, using it as a shield against the pain and fear and panic that had gripped her in the Imperial Prison on this day last year was laughable. There had been no Divine plan for her, no purpose to her presence at the death of the Emperor. In the last year nothing had come of it. No mystery heir had emerged to claim his throne as Emperor of Tamriel.

Uriel had been as much of a fool as she had, convinced that his path had been pre-ordained by the Nine. At least he no longer was trapped on Nirn with his delusions. While she no longer had any delusions she was still here, an immortal creature that shouldn't even exist. It was all so wrong and she felt truly, desperately lonely. Not even a vampire could possibly understand what she was going through. There wasn't anyone who would ever understand.

The gravel crunched under her boots as she walked along, her arms wrapped tightly around her chest, cradling herself in the only sort of touch she'd ever again receive.

So she was very unprepared for the invisible shove that sent her flying towards the front door of Weynon Priory. Righting herself she noticed a Dark Elf giving her a very strange look as he stood surrounded by a flock of sheep in the fenced pasture beside the building. He'd seen her go sprawling on the ground and she waved at him as she brushed the dirt from her armour. Turning to go Lilia felt herself being pushed forward; the intensity of the Gods' urging was something she'd never experienced before. It felt as if they were about to pull her right off of her feet.

Stubbornly she stood her ground. How dare they do this to her now? Anger bubbled through her and she felt her sadness melt away in its wrath. This was wrong; they had to know this. She couldn't possibly do anything more for them here on Nirn. Lilia laughed bitterly to herself, heedless of the continuing stares of the Dunmer. Surely the Divines knew just what they had created; it had been at their urging that she'd embarked on the crazy journey that had brought her to this state.

Another shove caused her to step forward to prevent herself from falling down again. Lilia realized that they weren't about to relent. She dug in her heels and pressed her weight backwards, fighting off the Divine pressure. Perhaps they didn't understand how little she cared for their plans at this point. She briefly regretted that she'd not set her magical mark anywhere but she had done that on purpose. Once she buried herself away she didn't want any means of escape.

The push suddenly disappeared and Lilia found herself sprawled on her back; she'd toppled over due to her resistance to a force that was no longer there.

"Are you okay?" A brown eyed brown haired young Imperial was leaning over her and she recognized him instantly. He was the monk she'd met last year. To her surprise he chuckled softly. "You're here to see Jauffre, aren't you? Go right up, he's in his study." The man was offering her his hand and she accepted it, intending to break out into a run as soon as she was standing. Instead she found herself lurching forward towards the open door.

While Lilia had all of eternity to play games with the Gods she didn't have the patience of an immortal. Completely frustrated with the situation she stalked into the grey stone room and up the wooden stairs, the firm hands of the Divines urging her on. Stomping into Jauffre's study she found him again seated behind his desk; it was absurd. He looked the same, sitting in the same position as she'd left him. It was as if a year hadn't passed.

"Ah. You've returned. Finally. As I was saying, the heir lives in Kvatch…" He greeted her calmly.

"What?" Lilia shouted at him and he blinked his pale blue eyes at her in surprise. She couldn't believe this. Had the Breton not done anything in the past year? This was madness. Maybe it was; she was insane after all. But she didn't feel very mad at the moment. In fact she was feeling remarkably sane.

"Kvatch. I said Kvatch. He's a priest of Akatosh and…" Jauffre spoke in the same calm voice.

"No. No no no no no. This can't be. Tell me you are joking." There was no way that the Grandmaster of the Blades would have let the heir to the Empire squander a year in Kvatch.

"I fail to see how his being a priest is some sort of joke. His name is Martin…"

"Godsdamn it!" Lilia grabbed the chair in front of her and tossed it with a crash into the wall. She was both furious and frustrated with the situation. "Why are you telling me this? Tell me you haven't been waiting for me to come back."

"I rather liked that chair." He looked mournfully at the wooden chair, now missing a leg, and Lilia resisted the urge to incinerate him. It wouldn't help things. His pale blue eyes stared up into her own and she again got the impression that there was something wrong about this, about everything, but she couldn't put her finger on it.

"Of course I've been waiting for you to come back. You're the only one that can fetch the heir; do you know how much we've prayed for you to return and aid us?" Jauffre shook his head as he spoke and Lilia tried to make sense of his words.

"What are you talking about? I don't understand."

"Obviously you don't or you wouldn't have left us here to wait for an entire year before you bothered showing up again. Do you remember the words the Emperor spoke to you? You are the one who is to find the heir. Emperor Uriel gave you an order." Jauffre placed particular emphasis on every 'you.'

"You're insane. What does it matter what orders Uriel gave me? He's dead."

"You're not a Blade. We are sworn to obey the orders of the Emperor, no matter how strange they may seem. From Baurus' report I know Uriel saw something in you. He gave you the Amulet of Kings for a reason. There was nothing we could do for the last year except pray daily that you survive and return. And now you're here. I'd offer you a seat but you've destroyed my chair. Now let me tell you where to find the heir; I don't see any reason for further delays."

"Are you trying to tell me that the Blades have done nothing for an entire year, leaving the Empire leaderless, on the off chance that I live to come back here? You're either mad or a fool." Lilia was leaning over his desk as she questioned him. Nothing made sense about this whole situation. The worst part is that Jauffre didn't appear to be either mad or a fool.

"I can't expect you to understand. Forces beyond your reckoning are at work here." He waved his hands in the air around him and Lilia laughed bitterly. The man thought she wasn't familiar with unseen forces. He had no idea. "The Emperor gave this task to you; he had the Dragon's blood, an ability to see things beyond the ken of regular mortals. I couldn't order anyone else to do it no matter how much I may have wished it."

Lilia frowned at him. He was serious; Jauffre truly believed that it had to be her, and her alone, to go and fetch the heir. A large sigh escaped her as she felt a quick push against her back. Godsdamned Gods.

"Priest of Akatosh, name is Martin, lives in Kvatch. Anything else I should know?"

"Yes. That you should go straight there and back. I don't think the Empire has another year left to wait." He sounded peevish and she resisted the urge to hit him. This had not been her fault; he was the ridiculous man who'd chosen to worry about fate and the orders of a dead Emperor rather than the practical needs of Tamriel.

Lilia turned to go and stumbled forward; the Gods were shoving her again. Trying to cover up her unusual movements she walked as quickly as she could out of the study and down the stairs. The heir was in Kvatch. Of course, it just had to be Kvatch.

* * *

Eronor looked up from the sheep he was brushing; the strange woman had emerged once more. It had been the oddest thing he'd ever seen; she'd been walking along the road when suddenly she'd dived sideways towards the priory landing heavily in the dirt. Apparently the fall, or was it a jump, hadn't hurt her. But then she'd stood motionless for a while before suddenly throwing herself backwards on to the ground. He wondered if she was possessed, though he'd never heard of any real cases of possession before. 

He couldn't make out what she was saying except for the occasional blasphemy. He blushed instinctively; living in a priory one did not often hear such curses. She was waving her fists up at the sky as she stomped across the road and into the forest. Standing beside the bleating sheep he stared at the spot she'd disappeared into. A small fear crept into him and he tried to push it away. Eronor sincerely hoped that this was not the mystery woman he had been praying for to return to Jauffre for mysterious purposes. If it was then he sincerely hoped that he hadn't been praying for the wrong thing the entire time.


	73. Chapter 73: Return to Kvatch

Ash. It was everywhere, covering everything that hadn't already been burnt into ash. Thick clumps of it rained down from the red sky and he wiped it out of his eyes. It was lost. Kvatch; his city, his home, was lost to the flames. It was all destroyed.

Savlian Matius didn't know what else he could do. His few remaining men were stationed behind the hastily erected barricade. It had been ages since the last daedra had emerged from the fiery portal. Savlian tried to hold out hope for the men who had volunteered to go into it, to try and find a way to close it. Nothing had come out since and with the passage of time the Captain of the Kvatch guards found his hope fading. While his men hadn't returned the portal still remained.

There had been no warning. The town had been asleep when the gates had suddenly appeared. Daedra of every description had poured out into the city, taking the citizens unaware. There had also been people, dressed in burgundy robes, leading the daedra around. Savlian had organized his guards as best he could, trying to push back the invaders, but there had been too many.

And then the machine had come bringing with it fire and devastation. He'd had no choice but to order his surviving guards to fall back out of the city. At least they could try and protect the few survivors who had made it out alive.

The sound of footsteps made him turn around. A stranger, clad in an odd assortment of armour, was running up the road towards them. It was a woman and she was staring transfixed at the glowing red portal. He didn't know who she was or what she wanted but this was no place for an amateur adventurer.

"Turn back! You can't be here." He called to her. She stopped and looked at him with a frown.

"What happened?" She asked.

"What happened? The daedra happened. The city has been destroyed. You have to leave." As Savlian spoke she looked back at the portal.

"How long has that been up?"

"At least a couple of hours. Ma'am, you must go." He was not about to let curiosity seekers hang around either.

"A couple of hours? That's not right." She sounded shocked by his answer. Savlian was getting very frustrated with her. Her grey eyes widened suddenly. "Where's Martin?"

"I saw him leading a group into the Chapel. I don't know if he's still there." Merandil answered her question and Savlian frowned. Why would she be worried about a priest at a time like this?

"We don't have time for this. My godsdamned home is in flames and there isn't a damned thing I can do about it. Now get out of here!" He was shouting now and aware that his men were watching him. Normally Savlian didn't lose his temper. But then the circumstances were far from normal.

She didn't react except to stare towards the city. She nodded slightly and then looked over to Savlian. "I'm sorry. How can I help?""

"Help? You want to help? There isn't anything you can do, not unless you can figure out how to close that gate. Though I doubt you would survive." He'd sent in a group of his best soldiers to try; everyone had hoped that they would find a way to make the portal vanish like the other ones.

To his surprise she nodded. She pulled off her bag and placed it at his feet.

"I'm Lilia and that's my stuff. Make sure it doesn't go anywhere. I'll try not to take too long." Lilia pointed at herself and the bag as she spoke. Without waiting for him to say anything she ran quickly past him and towards the gate. Savlian watched in astonishment as she jumped through it and disappeared.

Time passed slowly. Everyone was in a state of shock and he worried about his men. Right now the reality of the situation still hadn't sunk in, but in a while they'd start to understand that Kvatch was lost, their homes destroyed, and their friends and families were dead. Even their comrades, the ones who had gone into the gate, were dead.

Except for Ilend Vonius. The guards cheered as the Imperial stepped out of the portal. He looked shaken but physically unharmed. Hurrying over he reported in to Captain Matius.

"We were attacked by a group of daedra. We got separated; they took Menien alive. The rest are dead." Ilend's voice was quiet as he tried not to let the others overhear.

"And the girl?"

"Lilia? She found me, healed me, and sent me back out through the portal. My leg was broken; I was tossed by one of those big lizard things behind a clump of rocks. Somehow she managed to locate me and get me out of there. I wasn't entirely conscious at the time."

"Go have Oleta take a look at you and report back. And hurry." While Savlian wanted to let Ilend rest, to let him recover from his ordeal, he knew that he couldn't afford the guard such luxury. There could be no rest for any of them until the portal closed. Until then they had to remain vigilant. They had to protect the survivors.

More time passed and Savlian wondered how long she'd been in there. He'd lost track of time ages ago; he wasn't even sure what day it was, if it was the first or second of the month. A bright flare of intense light from the portal made him cover his eyes with his arm. When he removed it he froze momentarily in shock.

The portal was gone. Lilia was lying on the ground, her limbs tangled up with those of a shirtless man. Both of them were coated entirely in ash. Savlian recognized the man's face as he rolled away from her; she'd brought Menien back. A small glowing red orb was clutched tightly in her right hand.

"You did it! You actually did it!" Savlian ran forward towards the grimy figures. Menien was alive but he didn't seem to be in good shape. Lilia was busy spitting ashes out of her mouth. He ordered a couple of his guards to carry the injured Imperial down to the refugee camp.

"Thank you." He reached down to help pull her up and she grabbed hold of him. As she stood he noticed she appeared to be uninjured. She was filthy but she was fine. Lilia must be one of the best warriors he'd ever met; how else could she have closed the gate and rescued Ilend and Menien single-handedly?

"I need to get to the chapel." She spoke to him as she walked back to her pack.

"And I need your help. Now that the gate is closed we finally have a chance to destroy the rest of the daedra in the city. You have more combat experience then my men, will you lead them?" He asked.

Lilia stopped walking and turned to look at him. Her grey eyes were the same colour as her grey skin. It was a strange look. She had the oddest expression on her face; almost a cross between mirth and disbelief. "Lead your men? Much as I'd prefer not to I'll do it. Actually, I have an idea of how we can do this relatively safely. It's a bit unusual though."

* * *

"Remember the scamp's hearts are in their stomach, so aim low." Lilia was reminding the handful of soldiers assembled around her. Savlian was impatient to get started. She continued. "There are three scamps, a fire elemental, a daedroth…

"The lizard thing, right?" Ilend interrupted.

"Yes, the lizard thing, and a dremora. Remember to stay back as far as you can. We've already lost too many lives today, I don't want to lose any more. Ready?" The men nodded and adjusted the bows and arrows in their hands. She gave them a smile. "Wait until I'm on the other side before stepping through the gate."

Savlian Matius watched the scene through the gap in the town gates that Lilia had squeezed through. In any other time and place he would have fallen over laughing, but as it was he merely grinned. In his thirty-four years with the Legion he had never seen anything like it.

The ash covered mismatched armour clad woman was running through the plaza waving her arms above her head and yelling something about mortals, mud crabs, and the Nine Hells. The spectacle captured the attention of the daedra, the scamps were sending fireballs at her and the dremora mage was trying to hit her with magical lightning. The daedroth ran after her and she vaulted over a large section of a collapsed wall, cursing the entire time. She'd sent a large ball of frost into the flame atronach, which was now the same colour grey as Lilia.

Savlian nodded for his men to follow him. The made their way quietly through the gap and assumed formation, bows at the ready. She'd emphasized the need for surprise. None of the daedra noticed them; they were too busy trying to get at the woman who was currently tossing rocks over the stone wall that kept them from her while yelling about what she would do to them with a pair of calipers and a carrot. Savlian had to bite his lip to keep from snickering; he was sure that wouldn't work on a scamp. Waiting until his men had all nodded he gave the signal.

Ebony arrows flew through the air, aimed at the most fatal spot for each creature. Lilia possessed a surprising amount of knowledge about daedra; scamps in particular. To Savlian's immense relief the daedra crumpled to the ground under the well directed arrows.

Lilia jumped up and was clambering over the stone wall. "All clear!" She shouted with a wave. Brown mud and black soot were now visible as dark patches on her body. She looked like she'd lost a fight with a mud elemental. Savlian watched as her pack magically flew past the gates and over to join her; she'd left it by the entrance. Grabbing it she turned and ran inside the Chapel of Akatosh. He led his men over to the Chapel, worried about what he would find inside.

* * *

"Stay back. We'll take care of it." Tierra was urging the citizens to move towards the altar. Her voice was still so calm; Martin was amazed at how cool she was staying considering the circumstances. He motioned to her and Berich, indicating that one of the figures was about to enter. He prepared a frost spell.

It still seemed like one of his nightmares, one that he would eventually wake from coated in sweat in his bed in the living quarters. But he knew it was no dream. Kvatch had been invaded by daedra. He'd done what he could to help get people into the Chapel; the daedra couldn't enter the holy ground. But the robed figures could. He'd seen them moving around in the battle somehow directing the daedra to attack. And he wasn't sure who it was that was running towards the Chapel door right now; friend, foe, or refugee. The door burst open and Martin sent off his spell; it was a dremora. He was horrified. How could one of them get in here?

As the dremora dodged his frostball he suddenly realized that it wasn't any sort of daedra at all. It was a woman; he'd never seen anything like her before. Her armour, her skin, and her eyes were all grey. She looked like a living statue.

"Tierra?" The familiar face of Savlian Matius appeared behind the woman and Martin relaxed. If the Captain wasn't trying to attack her then she must not be an enemy. He hoped she wouldn't be too angry at his hasty spell. She was walking towards him now and he was a little unnerved by her; she didn't seem to be blinking.

"Martin. Priest of Akatosh." She spoke the words flatly. They were statements, not questions. She was staring into his eyes. He found himself blinking more frequently, somehow hoping to influence her to do the same. Perhaps she was ill.

"Do you need a priest?" He asked. Martin was very skilled in healing magics.

"No. I need you. You need to come with me; I've been sent to get you." She spoke softly, he was sure no one else could hear her words. He didn't understand what she was talking about.

"Lilia. Come here." Savlian had finished his conversation and was addressing the grey woman. She suddenly blinked before turning around. The Imperial was waving her over towards Tierra, Berich Inian, and himself. Lilia looked back at Martin briefly before joining them.

Martin stood on the spot and tried to make sense of her words. Someone had sent her to get him? There wasn't anyone he could possibly think of who would do that. Most of the people he knew were here in Kvatch. And his other friends outside of town would send a letter, not a mercenary. He was sure that's what she was judging by the snatches of conversation he could overhear.

"But I want to fight." Tierra was complaining bitterly.

"And you will, just as soon as you get these people out of here. Hurry." Savlian replied.

"Yes sir." Tierra turned to face the terrified survivors huddled together at the far end of the Chapel. "Okay people, we're safe to leave. The gate has been closed. Now follow me and stick close together. Martin, can you bring up the rear?"

"No. He's not going anywhere." Lilia's voice was authoritative and firm. Tierra looked surprised and then shrugged. The Redguard continued to organize the departure of the survivors. Lilia walked back over to Martin.

"You need to stay here. You'll be safe inside the Chapel. I'm going to help Captain Matius try to get to the castle; there is a small chapel inside. There might be some survivors there."

"No. I'm coming with you." He wasn't about to stand around idly and wait. The group could use a healer and he wasn't inexperienced in combat.

"You're a priest. It's safer if you stay here." Lilia was shaking her head and he noticed patches of dusky skin poking out from under the ash layer. She appeared rather tan for an Imperial.

"I'm not just a priest. I used to be a member of the Mages Guild. You saw the spell I sent at you. Sorry about that, by the way."

"You're staying here even if I have to paralyze you and tie you up. I'll string you from the rafters if I need to but you are not coming with us." Her voice had increased in volume and she was now gesturing along to her words.

"You do that and I'll cut him right back down. We could use every man we can get." Savlian stepped beside her and she shot him a dirty look. She gave Martin an even dirtier one; it was obvious she wasn't happy about the situation.

"Godsdamn it!" She cursed loudly and Martin was a little surprised by it; there were very few people who dared blaspheme inside a Chapel. Lilia stabbed a gauntleted finger at him. "Tell me you have armour."

"I don't need armour. I'm a mage." He replied. Wasn't she aware that magic users didn't need to bother with armour?

She snorted at his reply. "Bloody mage arrogance. Come over here, I might have something that will fit you. Tell me you have pants." She was staring pointedly at his robes as she walked over to a bench.

"Yes, I do."

"Get them and a shirt and put them on. Quickly before I change my mind." She was rummaging around in her pack and he hurried off to a small chest behind the main altar. Every article of clothing he'd been able to find had been collected from the living quarters and brought up for the survivors to wear or to use as bandages. He cast an invisibility spell before changing. Moving back to the bench he saw a set of Imperial Legion armour lined up.

"Put it on. We'll see what fits." Lilia was holding up the cuirass and she helped him strap it on. It was a bit big but it was comfortable enough. The helmet also fit but the greaves were too big and the boots too small. Lilia frowned and once more started reaching into her bag.

"Try these on." She held out a pair of chainmail greaves. He was pleased to find they fit rather well. "I don't suppose you'd consider gauntlets, would you?"

"No, of course not." He needed his hands free to cast spells. She snorted again. Lilia stepped back and gave him an appraising look. He was aware that he must look rather odd right now; he was wearing a legion helmet and cuirass, nothing on his hands, chainmail greaves, and leather shoes.

Lilia turned suddenly to face the entrance and he followed her gaze. The scorched wooden door swung open and Tierra walked in accompanied by three Legion soldiers. Martin hoped they wouldn't mind his armour; he wondered why Lilia happened to have a set of it on her. He then wondered where she'd been keeping it; her bag hardly seemed large enough.

"We saw the smoke from the road. We're here to help." One of the three spoke.

"Good. Are we ready?" Savlian asked his men.

"No. Each of you needs to go and get blessed at the altars. Move it." Lilia was ordering the soldiers around. She pointed at Martin. "You especially."

He didn't particularly want to; he wasn't feeling very fond of the Gods at the moment. But there was something about the way she said it that implied she would brook no argument. Martin followed behind the others as they made their way around the outer altars. Lilia was following along and he was pleased to see her receive a soft glow from each one. At least she wasn't out of favour with the Nine. Finishing with the altar of Akatosh Martin knelt down in front of the main altar and performed the ritual prayer to the combined Divines.

He opened his eyes when he heard the shocked murmuring coming from the guards around him. For some reason they were all glowing; the soft white light faded away before his eyes. He'd heard of powerful blessings like this before but had never seen one. Martin had certainly never imagined that he would be on the receiving end of one. He was very confused to hear Lilia murmur something about a poor bastard and Gods' playthings.

"Okay. This is how we're going to do it. I'll go first; you all follow behind and use your bows. Savlian, make sure they all have some ebony arrows. Martin will be at the rear, you must keep him alive at all costs. There will be no breaking rank or charging daedra; if you do so I'll feed you to them myself. Any questions?" Lilia had her hands on her hips and looked rather intimidating. Martin wanted to know why she wanted him to stay alive so badly but didn't dare ask. "I know there are several scamps throughout the city and a few fire elementals, so watch out for fireballs. I'll be trying to keep their attention; daedra tend to attack the first thing they see. Merandil, can you tell them where to shoot? I have to go clear out the other side of the Chapel before anyone can come out."

The High Elf nodded and began lecturing Tierra, Berich, and the Legion soldiers about the best places to fire arrows into daedra. Martin followed after Lilia; did she really think she could clear out a group of scamps on her own?

"What are you doing? Stay here." She waved Martin away without looking at him. Her right gauntlet was in her left hand and she was pinching something with her right index finger and thumb in a small leather pouch. Lilia flashed him a quick smile and a wink. "Be right back."

She slipped outside and Martin crouched down to watch through the keyhole. A frost atronach suddenly appeared beside her and it stomped its way over to a group of scamps. The creatures started tossing fireballs at it and he saw ebony arrows flying into them. In a relatively short period of time they had all been killed, either by Lilia or her summoned creature.

"Gods. Get out here; you'll ruin your eyesight if you keep doing that." Lilia wasn't even looking at him and Martin wondered just how she knew he was there behind the door. Straightening up he noticed the soldiers heading towards him. They all stepped outside and gathered in the small clearing.

"My atronach will go first; it should attract their attention. Is everyone ready?" She made sure that everybody nodded. "Let's go."

As they moved through the town Martin was overwhelmed by the devastation that surrounded him. Kvatch had been a beautiful city filled with trees and parks and life. Now it was nothing but piles of rubble, fire, and death. He couldn't see a house or shop that was still intact, and he was very disappointed that he couldn't see any people hiding among the wreckage as he scanned it with his detect life spell.

As the group pressed on through the ruined streets he was surprised that Lilia's atronach didn't seem to need much control or direction. She barely paid it any attention as she shot off arrows. Occasionally she would pull a soldier out of the path of a fireball with telekinesis magic. He figured that she must be an incredibly powerful mage; there were few conjurers who could so easily control a daedra.

"Damn it! We have to go back." Savlian was cursing at the large gate that blocked the bridge to the castle.

"Why?" Lilia asked.

The Captain gave her an odd look and pointed at the gate. "It was lowered in defence. The only way we can raise it again is to go through the undercroft and the connecting sewers. We need to get to the gate mechanism to open the gate."

"That wheel there?" Lilia was pointing at a large spoked wheel set high up inside the gated area.

"Yes. Let's go."

"No. Which way does it need to turn?" Lilia's question caused Savlian to give her a very strange look.

"We don't have time for this."

"No, we don't have time to go running around in tunnels. Now which way does it need to turn?" Lilia was stabbing her hand at the wheel in frustration.

"Clockwise."

"Was that so hard?" As she asked Martin watched the spokes begin turning in a clockwise fashion. The large metal gate clattered up out of the way; she'd used magic to move the wheel. It was a good idea.

Lilia's eyes narrowed as she peered at the castle. She turned around and spoke quietly to the soldiers.

"There are several dremora in the courtyard; I'm not sure what type. I'm going to go ahead with my atronach. Set up a defensive position here and wait for my call before moving forward." She placed her bow on her back as she spoke and unsheathed her glimmering daedric shortsword. Martin watched as her atronach preceded her towards the castle; suddenly Lilia vanished. He could see her purple glow but she'd gone invisible.

The atronach came under attack by a group of fire elementals as it stood in the middle of the courtyard. The dremora, warriors judging by their heavy armour, were moving towards it with their large claymores. He was very surprised that her atronach hadn't yet fled from Nirn; even frost elementals had enough sense to pull away from such overwhelming odds.

One by one the dremora collapsed to the ground. Lilia was sneaking behind them and cutting their heads off. It was an indirect approach but it was working. Meanwhile her atronach had one arm melted off but was still swiping at the fire elementals. Martin couldn't believe it; he'd never heard of a conjurer so powerful that they could keep a broken atronach bound to Nirn. The elementals were notorious for returning to Oblivion at the first hint of damage.

So when the atronach remained in the courtyard even though both of its arms were now missing Martin questioned his eyes, because what he was seeing wasn't possible. The frost elemental was now using its head to batter around its opponents. Lilia's voice called for the group to move in; the fire elementals were distracted and the dremora neutralized. The rain of ebony arrows that flew into the fiery figures soon extinguished their magical flames.

Lilia's lips were pressed tightly together as she looked at the castle. She nodded softly to herself.

"There are people in there. Is the chapel in that section?" She was pointing to the left.

"Yes. How many?" Savlian sounded relieved.

"Seven." She replied softly.

"Seven? Aren't there any others?" Martin couldn't believe it; there had been dozens of people including guards, servants, and the family of the Count living in the castle. There were only seven of them left?

"No. I'm sorry." Lilia sounded sincere in her condolences. "There aren't many daedra inside; it looks like mostly scamps and a couple of daedroth scattered throughout. I don't think my atronach will fit in the hallways, smaller though it now is. Make sure your men don't get distracted and start wandering off; we've managed to keep them alive this far and I would hate to lose one now."

"Right. The entrance to the chapel is through the main hall, along the passageway, and down the left hallway." Savlian pointed as he spoke.

"Good. It looks nearly empty. We'll go in, clear the pathway, and you can get those people out of there. I'll clear out the rest of the castle afterwards. These are the last daedra left in the city."

"How do you know that?" Savlian asked.

"I told you, I can see them." Lilia tapped her head and Martin realized that she must be referring to a detect life spell. "Let's get moving; your men are exhausted. The sooner this is over the sooner they can rest."

Lilia pulled open the large castle doors with magic and sent her armless frost atronach inside to the main hall. The cries of scamps rang out and were quickly silenced by the arrows of the guards. The appearance of a deadroth from a side room caused a concentrated volley of ebony and some rather loud cursing from Ilend. He seemed to derive a particular pleasure from killing them. Lilia's atronach couldn't go any further and Martin wasn't able to figure out why she'd used some form of magic to dismiss it away. Conjured creatures didn't normally need to be dismissed. He was getting the impression that her creatures were far from normal.

The path to the chapel was cleared and the terrified survivors convinced to unbar the door. Martin recognized the Countess and her young son, the Court Wizard, the cook, and the three guards. He knew most of the people of Kvatch; at least the ones that followed the teachings of the Nine. Count Goldwine was noticeably absent.

"Come, let's finish this." Lilia whispered to him. The scene was a very emotional one as both groups realized that the beloved Count was dead. He followed her out of the room. So many people had died; why had the Gods allowed this to happen?

"I know you can go invisible. Do you have a detect life spell?" Lilia asked.

"Yes."

"Good. Keep it active and keep hidden. Follow along behind me, if anything happens to me then run. You must stay alive. Do you understand?" She was staring at his eyes again but at least she was blinking. He nodded and watched her disappear. Casting his own invisibility spell he wandered behind her through the wreckage of the castle. He tried hard not to notice all of the dead bodies that littered the rooms and hallways. Lilia was moving quietly in front of him using her shortsword to dispatch the lesser daedra that roamed idly around. She moved methodically through the castle and eventually they wound up back in the main hall. Lilia reappeared.

"It's done. Let's get you out of here."

"To where? Why are you here? Where are you going to take me?" He'd been wondering about her purpose for finding him the entire time they'd been moving along silently. He cast a small restoration spell to ease his tiredness; Martin felt completely drained.

"What did you just cast?" She asked with wide eyes. "Was that to restore your fatigue?"

He nodded; it was strange how fascinated she seemed by his simple spell. She gave him a small smile. Lilia still looked like a creature of stone come to life.

"You must be exhausted. You should rest first before we talk about why I'm here. Come, let's leave the smoke and fire and ash behind."

As Martin followed her out of the castle and through his ruined home he reflected on how odd it was that he found himself trusting her. After all, he didn't know the first thing about her.


	74. Chapter 74: The Best Laid Plans

"Weynon Priory? Why are you taking me there?" Martin asked her, his voice full of accents. She caught a heavy dose of High Rock, a bit of Hammerfell, and perhaps even some Skyrim in his words. Lilia wondered why he'd spent so much time in those regions. She couldn't imagine what either a mage or a priest would be doing traveling so much.

They'd walked in relative silence down the winding path from Kvatch. Martin had stopped briefly to speak with the refugees in the camp offering them words of comfort, guidance, and faith. Lilia had done a good job of restraining her desire to roll her eyes and make derisive noises at his talk. While he didn't sound quite as secure in his faith as she'd expected she still found it bitter to hear stories about the love of the Divines. The devastation at Kvatch only reinforced her opinion that the Gods paid no heed to the mortals who worshipped them.

As they made their way through the wilderness towards Chorrol Martin had begun asking questions. Lilia wasn't sure if she should be the one to tell him that he was the heir of Emperor Uriel or not. Jauffre hadn't mentioned anything about that. So she tried to change the subject and deflect his queries. The man was so tired he didn't seem to catch on to her evasiveness. He really needed to rest; she couldn't see the point in dragging him all the way up to the priory to sleep. She'd found him and he was safe, Lilia felt there was no reason to worry about delays despite Jauffre's orders to the contrary.

"Because they have soft beds and warm water." She gave him a grin; Lilia knew she must look a fright. She could feel the clammy, silky sensation of ash trapped under every part of her clothes. It was hard to control her impulse to just strip naked and roll around in the wet grass to get it off.

"That sounds nice." Martin answered before stumbling on a small white rock. Lilia looked around; they were beside an Aylied ruin in the middle of the forest. The morning sun was casting soft shadows of tree branches over the large square entrance. Glancing about with her mind Lilia could see nothing except the occasional bird or deer anywhere near them. She tried to decipher the marker above the ancient stone doors.

"Miscarcand." Martin said; he'd seen her inquisitive stare. Looking at him she noticed how he almost seemed to be wobbling with exhaustion. Jauffre's desires be damned she couldn't make the poor man march on in his condition. She'd have to carry him if she wanted to go straight to the priory.

And she didn't want to do that at all. She pulled her bag around and reached in, finding her brown cloak easily. Pulling it out she offered it to Martin.

"Here, use this. It'll keep you dry from the dew. You need a nap." He took if from her with a mumbled thanks and headed off towards a nearby tree. Spreading the cloak on the ground he lay down and fell asleep almost instantly. Lilia rolled her eyes; he was curled up under a larch tree of all things. She waved her fist at the larch and went to stand near a toppled column not far from him.

Confident that they were both safe for the moment she removed her armour. Stepping away from it she mixed ice and fire above her head and revelled in her makeshift shower. It was a long time before she felt that most of the ash had been washed away from her body and clothes. Drying off with magical warmth she turned her attentions to her armour. As she brushed off the metal she found herself thinking about several different things, all of which bothered her greatly. Absolutely nothing in her life was going according to plan and now she'd somehow gotten tangled up with the future Emperor of Tamriel. The poor man; he had no idea of just what might happen because of it.

* * *

The sun was on the other side of the larch by the time Martin woke up. While she was happy that he had rested she wasn't happy that he now seemed fully alert. No doubt he'd start asking questions again and this time he wouldn't be so easily distracted.

"Orange? Sweetroll?" Lilia offered, regretting that she hadn't thought to bring any food with them. As a vampire she never worried about meals though she did keep a couple of snacks on hand. She found both the fruit and the pastry rather good at removing the taste of blood from her mouth after feeding.

"Yes, thanks." Martin accepted the offered food. He was obviously hungry.

"I could probably hunt down a deer or a game bird if you want." Lilia felt a bit guilty; she had forgotten that she'd need to feed the future Emperor. She hoped that she hadn't forgotten anything else.

"That's not necessary, thank you. These are really good oranges." He held up a segment as he spoke.

"Summerset Isles. Worth every septim. I don't have anything else but I do have a bottle of mead if you'd like." Agronak had given her one for the road when she'd left Crowhaven and Lilia hadn't removed it from her pack. His mouth full of sweetroll Martin nodded and she passed him the bottle after coating it with ice. She watched as he made short work of her pitiful amount of food and drink. It would only take a couple of hours to return to the priory, she was fairly sure he'd survive until then.

Martin stood and stretched; she heard a small pop as he bent to the side. Sleeping on the ground was rarely a comfortable thing to do. He lifted her cloak up and offered it back to her.

"I needed that. Thank you. But before we continue on I'd like some answers first." He didn't sound annoyed, just curious. Lilia shoved the cloak back in her bag and gestured for him to sit down on the column beside her. She'd made her decision; she felt that he had to know. He was in great danger.

"You're probably not going to believe me, and I understand if you don't. It happens to me a lot. Tell me, do you know who your father was?"

"My father? My father was a simple farmer. What does that have to do with anything?" Lilia frowned a little; there was no question that he was Uriel's son. He had the same piercing blue eyes and unfortunately large jaw.

"Your father was Emperor Uriel. You are his only surviving child." She watched his reaction as she spoke. He clearly didn't believe her. She pressed on. "I was there when the Emperor was murdered. He gave me the Amulet of Kings and told me to find his heir. I brought the amulet to Weynon Priory; the Grandmaster of the Blades, Jauffre, resides there. He told me that I had to come and find you and bring you back to the priory."

"The Emperor died a year ago." Martin was shaking his head and she recognized the look. He thought her mad. At least it was an accurate opinion now.

"Yes, he did. I left the amulet with Jauffre before he could tell me that I needed to get you. I only returned to him yesterday. There were other matters that I had to tend to first." She was not about to go into her reasons for her actions.

"You waited a year to come find me?"

"No, I didn't. I didn't know I was supposed to. According to Jauffre it had to be me, and me alone, that came to get you."

"Why didn't he send you a letter then?" Martin certainly wasn't buying her story. She'd expected that.

"He didn't know who I was. He still doesn't even know my name." She realized that she'd stormed in and out of the Breton's study so rudely she hadn't bothered with even that simple courtesy. He might have figured out her name by now if he'd heard the rumours about a strangely armoured woman and her remarkable adventures and made the connection with her own unique appearance. If he was any sort of Blade he probably would have. "Will you at least come with me to Weynon Priory and hear him out? Please don't make me paralyze you and drag you up there." She was serious about her last statement; she'd bring him by force if she had to.

"You closed an Oblivion gate to get to me. You led a group to clear out a city full of daedra on my behalf. I may as well go with you to Chorrol." He still didn't seem to believe her but at least she wouldn't have to kidnap him. Lilia was grateful for that small favour.

As they moved through the countryside they fell into awkward conversation. Neither one wanted to discuss Kvatch or Lilia's reasons for being there. Instead they settled on the topic of travel; she'd asked him about his accent. He hadn't given much of an answer but they had at least been able to discuss the provinces without going into their own specific experiences within them. Lilia was amused by him; he seemed almost as hesitant to discuss his past as she was. That wasn't something she normally encountered.

They made their way through the remaining section of the forest as quickly as Martin's pace would allow. His pace increased when they both magically saw that there were more figures than there should be at the priory, and that they seemed to be fighting. Stepping out from behind the trees Lilia's heart dropped. The unforgettable red and silver armour of the assassins of Emperor Uriel was being worn by several people who were trying to murder the terrified Dunmer, the angry brown robed Imperial, and the black robed Breton.

"Stay behind me!" She shouted back to Martin as she ran forward, magically pulling an assassin away from the Dark Elf, who was armed only with a repair hammer. She aimed the assassin's back onto the corner of the building and heard the delightful snap as it broke. She let the dead body fall back down to the ground.

Meanwhile Martin was firing off frostballs at an assassin who was making his way towards Lilia. He didn't survive long enough to reach her; the freezing magic made sure of that. With her daedric shortsword in her right hand she used her left to guide the Dunmer magically far away from the fray; the assassins seemed to be particularly desirous to kill the unarmed mer. Brother Piner and the unknown Prior were both armed with Akaviri katanas and doing a good job of fending off their attackers. Lilia ducked the mace of the one currently trying to kill her and quickly shot out her left hand to grab hold of his mace-wielding arm. Pulling him close to her she stabbed him in the side with her sword. The armour dissolved and she let the body of the Altmer fall to the ground. Martin was freezing another assassin to death and Brother Piner, his Imperial attacker lying dead on the ground, was assisting the Prior with his opponent.

Lilia looked around; there were four figures in the small chapel. They didn't seem to be moving.

"Where's Jauffre?" Brother Piner was asking her as if she'd somehow know. The bodies of the dead assassins lay in the dirt; Lilia noticed that they were several different races of mer and men.

"I saw him go towards the chapel." The black robed Breton answered. Lilia ran off at the words; she couldn't let Jauffre die now. She'd have no idea what to do with a future Emperor and she certainly couldn't leave Martin to fend for himself with assassins about. She needed the infuriating Breton alive. As she shoved open the chapel doors she noticed a flare of white light; someone in the back corner had teleported away. The walls had allowed her no opportunity to get a look at them first. Jauffre had his Akaviri katana drawn and was staring down his attackers. The assassins turned around to face Lilia, somehow thinking she was more of a threat than the robed aged Breton. It was a fatal miscalculation. Jauffre lunged forward and stabbed his sword right through the chest of one; his armour dissolved away to reveal a young Dunmer. The last assassin turned once more to face Jauffre, but he wasn't fast enough to prevent the Grandmaster's blade from slicing deep into his neck. The Nord collapsed to the ground.

"The amulet!" Jauffre ran past her and out the door. Lilia turned and ran after him; she didn't like the thoughts his words implied. Brother Piner, Martin, and the Prior looked a bit bewildered to see the woman they'd been trying to catch up with run past them yet again, this time heading towards the priory house. She followed Jauffre up the stairs to his ruined study. The drawers of his desk had been pulled out and emptied, the bookshelves stripped of their books, and a wardrobe lay toppled in the middle of the room revealing a large opening in the wall. It was into this secret space that Jauffre ran.

"It's gone. They've taken the Amulet of Kings!" He sounded despondent when he emerged. She heard Brother Piner start speaking in hushed tones with Jauffre as she stepped into the hidden room. It was empty except for a low shelf, which had absolutely nothing on it. Lilia closed her eyes and tried to relax her mind, ignoring the conversation in the other room. She could still feel the traces of the magical amulet in the air; it had most certainly been hidden here until just recently. She called out to Aetherius and Mundus trying to sense where the amulet was now located. This form of mysticism was always trickier to perform; she did best when she had a physical object she could touch, using it as a focal point for her unasked inquiries.

It was several minutes before she realized why she wasn't able to locate it. The amulet hadn't just been taken from the Priory; it had been taken from Nirn itself.


	75. Chapter 75: Gainful Employment

Jauffre rode ahead leading the two through the wooded countryside and up towards Cloud Ruler Temple. He was constantly looking around, obviously on high alert. Riding beside Martin on a paint horse Lilia was in a similar posture, if anything she seemed even more wary than the Grandmaster. Their attitudes were doing nothing to put Martin's mind at ease.

He still couldn't accept it. Him, the son of an Emperor? The heir to the Empire? The concept was absurd.

And yet these two very different people both seemed to believe it. Brother Piner and Prior Maborel had certainly believed it; much to his surprise they'd begun calling him Emperor during his discussion with Jauffre. The Grandmaster had revealed that he'd been the one who had arranged for Martin to grow up on the farm, had placed the bastard child with the people he called his parents. It was a ridiculous notion and his mind rejected it outright. But deep down he'd begun to wonder if perhaps it was true; it might explain a few things.

He looked back over at the deeply tan Battlemage riding beside him. He assumed that is what she must be; she had far too much magical talent to be a mere mercenary. And why else would she have been near the Emperor when he died, or the only person who could be sent to find him? Again she was staring very intently at Jauffre's back, her eyes narrowed and a small frown on her face. For reasons Martin couldn't begin to fathom she seemed to have something against the charismatic Breton. She was a bit odd but he found himself trusting her. Lilia had done a very good job so far of keeping him alive. He smiled at her; she could be rather nice at times. He'd really appreciated her oranges.

She glanced over at him and gave him an odd look. Despite his attempts to make conversation with her she'd insisted that they ride in silence, claiming that there were far too many ears about to speak freely. Martin strongly suspected that she'd included Jauffre's ears in that count. With a sigh he looked down at the chestnut horse beneath him. So much, too much, had happened since yesterday and he was having a very hard time adjusting.

Kvatch was gone. His home had been destroyed by daedra. Stable portals to Oblivion had opened up, which shouldn't even be possible. He'd seen a frost atronach unlike any he'd ever seen before. He'd been attacked by assassins in strange armour. And he'd been told that he was the rightful Emperor of Tamriel. All he needed to prove it was an amulet that had been stolen from the Grandmaster of the Blades. An amulet that had been given to the Imperial riding beside him by the Emperor himself right before his death.

Martin had seen and done many strange things in his life but nothing had prepared him for this.

Their quick pace had brought them to the rocky road above Bruma that led to Cloud Ruler Temple, the headquarters of the Blades. Jauffre had insisted that Martin be brought there; Lilia had agreed but had insisted that she accompany them. Brother Piner and Prior Maborel were to stay behind and try to find out more information about just how the assassins had discovered the location of the amulet. Martin glanced down to the city behind them; he couldn't see much beyond bits of stone wall and a couple of wooden roofs. He'd been to Bruma a few times but it was a quiet town without any attractions. There'd been no reason for him to frequent it.

Large metal gates were set into a tall wall that had been carved out of the mountain itself. They'd arrived. Jauffre dismounted from his horse and walked over to the gate. Lilia nudged her horse closer to Martin's and her leg bumped up against his. Her right hand wasn't holding the reins; it looked as if she was about to start firing off spells or draw her daedric shortsword. He was surprised at her paranoia and it made him feel very nervous. She seemed to be expecting some sort of attack. When the gates began to swing open she actually flinched.

The only thing that emerged though was a large Nord dressed in Akaviri armour. He greeted Jauffre in a friendly manner and gave a large wave to Martin and Lilia. She dismounted from her horse and walked around to offer Martin a hand with getting off of his own. He didn't need the assistance but he realized she was using it as an excuse to stay close. She seemed to have adopted the role of his personal bodyguard. Which was somewhat amusing because as the purported heir of the Emperor the Blades were his own private army of bodyguards. If he was the Emperor then he hardly had need of any more.

"Hail Emperor Martin Septim!" The Nord bowed deeply to Martin. He didn't know what to say to that sort of greeting. He was still trying to think of a reply when Lilia spoke.

"Hail noble Blade. I am honoured to meet you. I am Lilia." She bowed at the man.

"Hail Lilia. I am the one who is honoured to meet you, Hero of Kvatch. I am Roliand." As the Nord bowed to the Battlemage Martin tried not to chuckle. Her face had assumed a very sour expression at the phrase 'Hero of Kvatch.' She seemed to dislike being called that even more than he disliked being called Emperor.

"Come. I shall introduce you to the Blades." Jauffre led Martin through the gates and up a flight of stairs to a large paved courtyard. Two rows of warriors, dressed in Akaviri armour, stood in formation. Roliand joined the tail end of a row and Lilia took a spot at the top of the stairs, looking a bit unsure of just where she was supposed to stand. Martin listened to Jauffre introduce him as the heir of Uriel Septim and future Emperor of Tamriel. It felt like a dream. He still couldn't believe that any of this was real. That he, Martin, Priest of Akatosh, was standing in the courtyard of the best warriors in Tamriel and being proclaimed the future Emperor.

To his displeasure he realized that the group was waiting for him to speak. Though he often gave sermons at the Chapel he'd never been comfortable speaking unprepared. He'd often start his sermons a week in advance, thinking, pondering, and polishing them until he was finally satisfied with the results. He cleared his throat and spoke, not entirely sure of what he was supposed to say.

"Jauffre, blades, I know you all expect me to be Emperor. I'll do my best. But this is all new to me. I want you all to know that I appreciate your welcome here. That's it, thank you."

While it wasn't exactly a work of art he hoped that it got the point across. He was grateful for their loyalty even if he didn't really believe that he was the Emperor. Jauffre dismissed the group and the Blades returned to their posts. Lilia walked over to stand once more beside Martin.

"It wasn't much of a speech, was it?" He asked her.

"It was honest and sincere. You don't need to worry about flowery words when you speak from the heart." She smiled at him as she answered and he felt a bit better. Jauffre wasn't smiling at either of them. He addressed Lilia.

"You have proven yourself loyal to the Empire in your own way. As a reward for your aid I offer you an opportunity to join the Blades."

"I'm afraid I cannot accept the honour at this time. But if you are looking to recruit more members I do have some recommendations." She replied brightly. Lilia seemed almost happy to turn the offer down.

"Thank you, but that's not necessary. It's unfortunate that you won't join us, I'm afraid we're not equipped for visitors. I'll have Roliand show you out." The Grandmaster's voice was cold as he spoke.

"I thought you said you had quarters for the Emperor?" Martin asked. Jauffre had told him about Cloud Ruler Temple back in the priory.

"Yes, of course. Don't worry, we most certainly have a room for you."

"Doesn't the Emperor normally have servants that travel with him? Where do they stay?" Martin didn't want Lilia to leave just yet. The idea unsettled him; he realized she'd been a small source of comfort, a small sense of sameness since Kvatch. He wanted time to adjust first before letting her return to her post at the Arcane University. Surely the other Battlemages would be fine without her for a little while longer. And if he technically was the Emperor then technically he should be able to order her to stay. Technically.

"Yes, there are rooms for the Emperor's staff. But she's not under your employ." The Breton gave Martin a very charming smile.

"She is. She's my bodyguard." Martin answered quickly and saw Lilia grin at the eyebrow Jauffre raised at him.

"The Blades are the bodyguards for the Emperor. Her role is redundant."

"You're right. She's not my bodyguard, she's my…"

"Steward. Temporary steward until he is installed in the Imperial Palace." Lilia finished the sentence for him; he had been trying to think of something that wouldn't be redundant. He'd been certain that Jauffre would reject washerwoman, maid, or cook.

The Grandmaster sighed deeply. "Very well then. Let me show you to your quarters, dinner will be ready in an hour. I suggest you get some rest before then."

Jauffre led them through a side entrance into the building. A long hallway and a small flight of stairs connected with an intersecting passageway. Doors were set into the papered walls. Everything was in perfect order; Martin had expected no less from the renowned Blades. Turning left Jauffre brought them to the end of the hall. A large metal door lay in front of them; a wooden door was on the right wall beside it. Going through that one Lilia and Martin followed the Grandmaster down the narrow corridor to the last door in the wall. He opened it with a key and stepped back.

"This will be your room." Jauffre indicated with a sweep of his arm to Lilia. She stepped in and Martin took a look. It was the size of a closet. It was as if the bed had been put in the room and the walls added tightly in around it.

"It's perfect." She held her hand out for the key. Jauffre gave it to her and she walked back out into the hall and locked the door.

"Aren't you going to freshen up?" The Breton asked archly.

"No, I'm fresh as it is, thank you. But Martin should probably get some rest." She smiled brightly back at the Grandmaster. Martin realized that Lilia hadn't slept since he'd met her; he was surprised that she didn't seem tired at all.

With a soft sigh Jauffre led the two of them back down the corridor and to the large metal door. Unlocking it he stepped into the room beyond. Following him in Martin was amazed by what he saw.

The room was very large and furnished opulently. Silk hangings surrounded the large bed. A fine desk was against the wall, it looked like an antique. Very comfortable looking sofas and a low carved table surrounded a large fireplace on the side wall. A couple of wardrobes and a mirror were against the wall in the corner. Large woven rugs decorated the wooden floors; judging by the sheen of them they appeared to be crafted from silk. Everything was of the highest quality.

"This will be your room. There is a bathroom through that door." Jauffre pointed to a wooden door on the far wall. Lilia promptly opened it and explored inside; Martin wondered if she was checking for assassins.

"Thank you. I'm afraid I'm not sure of what I'm supposed to do next."

"Just relax. I'll send someone to call you for dinner. If you need anything let one of us know." The kind Breton gave Martin a gentle smile as he spoke. "I must attend to Blades business."

Lilia had returned and Martin noticed her watching Jauffre intently as he left the room and closed the door behind him. She waved her hand in the air and Martin felt some subtle magic being woven around them. He wasn't sure what it was though.

"We can speak freely now. Thanks for the job by the way." She gave him a wink and a mischievous grin. He suspected she thought he'd done it to annoy Jauffre. He couldn't figure out why the two of them had an underlying hostility between them.

"Are you sure you don't need any sleep?" He asked as he started fumbling with his cuirass, trying to get it off. Lilia reached over to help him.

"Quite sure. I don't sleep much at all. Though I'd kill for a warm bath. I've got ash in places I didn't know was possible. I won't ask Jauffre for one though, I'm sure the man would happily give me a pitcher and a bucket instead." She tugged off his breastplate and placed it on the desk. Martin shook his head softly at her comments. He was sure Jauffre wasn't like that at all.

"Then go use my tub."

"No, you should have a bath before I do. You're the future Emperor."

"And you're the one who saved my life. The least I can reward you with is a bath. Go, I can take care of my armour." He pointed towards the wooden door.

"Thank you." Lilia grabbed her bag and happily ran off. As he removed the greaves he heard her moving around behind the wooden door; it sounded as though she was quickly removing and heedlessly dropping all of her armour to the floor. He decided to explore his new quarters. The desk drawers held nothing of interest, merely quills, ink, and parchment. Dry logs were in the fireplace and he set them ablaze with a small fireball. While it was spring the temple was set up high in the mountains where the air was much colder. The gentle warmth felt nice. He opened the wardrobe and was surprised to find a variety of clothing inside. Most of it was fabric of the best quality. Some of it was clearly meant to be worn by women. He removed a few pieces to get a better look; he wondered where it had all come from. He pulled out a voluminous and obviously old man's shirt and held it in front of him; it must have been made for a giant.

"Emperor Uriel IV. Fattest Emperor of them all. It's held up well considering it's almost 200 years old." Lilia was leaning against the doorframe. She was dressed in a simple grey robe and had her pack in her white gloved hands. Martin was surprised at the colour of her hair; it was very unusual for an Imperial, though the colour seemed vaguely familiar. It reminded him of his days as an Apprentice in the Mages Guild. One evening he and a few of his friends had been practicing their fire magic as they tried to see if they could heat a rock enough to make it explode. They'd managed to make the dark rock glow a deep red and he remembered the colour as being almost the same as her hair. If he recalled correctly a fair bit of brandy had been behind that line of inquiry.

"That was fast." He said to her as she walked over to sit beside the fire.

"I wasn't that dirty. Not like when I first met you. Gods, that was something else, wasn't it?" She shook her head at the remembrance. "What did you think I was, a golem?"

"A dremora. Then a statue."

"Dremora. Never been called one of those before. You should go wash up and then we'll get you back into your armour."

Martin was rather confused by her directions. "My armour? Why would I wear that?"

"For dinner. You should be wearing armour at all times." Lilia was giving him a curious look.

"You think I should be wearing armour to dinner with the Blades? My own bodyguards?" That seemed like a rather rude thing to do. He might as well tell them that he didn't trust them. Except he did trust them, which is why Lilia's line of thinking made no sense.

"Hmph. What if you wore it under your clothes? Would that work for you?" She obviously didn't want to let him go out unarmoured.

"I don't think the Legion cuirass would fit."

"Right. Stay here. I'll be right back." She popped up from the sofa and ran over to the metal door. Martin wondered where she thought he would go; there weren't any other exits from the room. To his surprise she soon ran back in empty handed. Shutting the door behind her he once more felt that subtle sensation of magic.

"Okay. That takes care of physical attacks. Now what about poisons…" She trailed off and frowned at the fire. He was surprised when she snorted and shook her head. Lilia pulled off her right glove and walked over to him.

She handed him a ring she'd pulled off of her middle finger. He noted that she had rings on every finger and that they all shimmered with magic.

"Put that on. It's the ring of Linoril. It should confer immunity to poison, paralysis, and disease." She was talking softly at the gold and ebony ring. He found it sat nicely on the pinkie finger of his left hand.

"It fits." It felt as though his blood was somehow stronger.

"Of course it fits." Lilia muttered darkly at the ceiling. He was rather surprised at that; she was behaving rather oddly. She started pulling off the rings from her index finger and thumb. Handing them to him she turned around and appeared to be yanking off her left glove.

"What are your other rings?" He asked.

"Rings of luck." She replied without looking.

"All of them? Why do you need nine rings of luck?" He was busy trying the rings on his fingers when he asked.

"So my clothes last longer. Here, try to find a place to wear these." She turned around and handed him three more rings. Both of her gloves were back on.

"So your clothes what?" Martin was very confused by her answer. He also wasn't happy at the appearance of his hands; it seemed a bit garish for a man to be wearing so many rings at once. Especially so many cheap rings. It didn't seem very much like something an Emperor should be doing.

"Last longer. It makes a big difference."

A knock at the door prevented further inquiries about the correlation between rings of luck and the state of her apparel. Lilia ran off to answer it. Martin was surprised to see Roliand standing at the door with a selection of chainmail in his arms. The Nord must be off duty now, he was dressed in simple clothes and his blond hair wasn't covered by a helmet.

"Excellent. I'll take those and I'll return whatever doesn't fit." Lilia grabbed the heavy bundle from the man and brought it over to the sofa. "Thank you." She called out to Roliand, who recognized the tone of dismissal in her voice. He closed the door and yet again Martin felt something magical shift in the air.

"What are you casting?"

Lilia gave him a very pleased look. "You notice that? Good. I'll have to teach it to you. It's a simple spell that prevents sound from leaving or entering a closed room, though you can still hears bangs on the walls and doors. I'm sure you'll need it. Ooh, mithril. Try this one on first." She turned around and held out a chainmail tunic made from sparkling silver metal. He took it from her and pulled it on. It seemed to fit well and Lilia had him raise and move his arms around in every direction to make sure it wasn't too loose or too big.

"Did you learn this in your Battlemage training?" He asked. She gave him a puzzled look.

"Battlemage training? I'm not a Battlemage." Lilia shook her head as she answered.

"What are you then?"

"An alchemist." She smiled happily as she answered before resuming her rummaging through the selection of greaves.

"An alchemist." He repeated, not at all understanding her answer.

"Oh, this might have some elven work in it. Try this pair." She shoved the greaves at him and Martin sighed as he took them from her. If she was an alchemist then she was certainly the strangest one he'd ever met.


	76. Chapter 76: Dining In

"Caroline, if you'd be so kind as to say the blessing." Jauffre spoke to the strawberry blonde Breton sitting near the middle of the table. She nodded and bowed her head. Martin did the same and he thought he saw his plate move to the right as his eyes closed. Opening them he realized that his plate was no longer where it was supposed to be. Lilia was holding it in her hand and was sniffing it.

"Nine Divines, we thank you for your bounty…" Caroline was saying the prayer but Martin paid it no attention. He was staring openly at Lilia, who was now stabbing his food methodically with her knife. He wasn't sure whether to protest or laugh. She could be so strange sometimes.

The rest of the group either didn't see what was happening at the end of the table or were too discreet to react. Lilia had finally noticed Martin's curious look and had given him a cheery nod, as if what she was doing was perfectly normal. Perhaps it was normal for her but he certainly had never seen such a thing before.

She was now taking random forkfuls of his mashed potatoes and putting them on her bread plate. She cut a few pieces off of his mutton, including a small hole from the centre. She also removed both ends and a small slice from the middle of his carrot. To his astonishment she then ate the assortment of pilfered food while holding his plate away from him with her left hand.

Convinced that she was playing some bizarre sort of joke on him he reached over to steal her plate. To his surprise she warded off his hand with her fork; she wasn't about to let him get at her food. Looking around he realized that the Blades were now all staring at the strange woman seated beside the alleged Emperor who was currently threatening him with cutlery while she held his dinner hostage.

"Lilia, is there something the matter with dinner?" Jauffre asked, clearly unamused at the spectacle.

"I don't know yet. I'll tell you in a few minutes. But I don't think so." She replied happily. She still hadn't given Martin back his dinner and he was feeling a bit annoyed. He was rather hungry.

"You don't know yet." Jauffre repeated her strange answer back to her. The rest of the Blades didn't seem sure whether they were supposed to start eating or not. This was obviously a new custom for them as well.

"No, but it does taste good though. My compliments to the chef." Lilia said as she held Martin's plate high above her head; he had tried to grab it back from her as she'd looked at Jauffre. He'd been too slow to succeed.

"Should we bring Martin another plate?" Martin nodded in answer to Jauffre's question. Before the Grandmaster could ask for one Lilia spoke.

"Not unless he's very hungry. Are you very hungry Martin?" She had the most innocent smile on her face as she asked him. "Because you'll have to wait even longer for your second plate, so you might want to request it now."

"Lilia, what are you doing to the Emperor's dinner?" Jauffre's irritation was clear in his voice.

"Tasting it."

"Yes, I can see that. Is there any particular reason that you felt the need to eat Martin's food?" The Grandmaster sounded exasperated. A couple of the Blades started chuckling at the situation but quickly silenced themselves under the Breton's piercing stare.

"Because somebody has to and nobody else volunteered." Martin was completely confused by her reply. She must be mad.

"Volunteered for what?" Jauffre's voice was now starting to sound rather angry.

"To taste for poisons, of course." Lilia's answer shocked Martin. He suddenly understood why she'd not only eaten a part of his dinner but had also smelt it and stabbed it. She'd been looking for something sinister, and now she was waiting for some amount of time to pass before allowing him to eat. Her paranoia was remarkable. "Quite honestly I'm surprised you even need to ask. Do the Blades not train for this sort of thing? Did the Emperor not have a personal taster? I've met Lords who have had personal tasters, though they tended to be either evil, insane, or just extremely egotistical."

"Emperor Uriel saw no reason to have a taster. I wasn't aware that Martin felt differently." Jauffre's eyes were now upon Martin and he felt rather put on the spot. He certainly hadn't asked her to do this; it was bad enough that she'd covered him in chainmail and gaudy rings in the name of security.

"Martin isn't aware of many things, so as his steward I have to sometimes choose a course of action that will keep him safe so that he may live to learn them." She gave Jauffre another wide smile before setting Martin's plate back before him. "Try the carrot, it's excellent." She whispered at him.

The strange situation finished the group started eating. Lilia certainly seemed to be relishing the meal; Martin hadn't seen her eat a thing in over a day. He imagined she would be rather hungry by this point. When she filled his glass with wine and sipped it he waited until she nodded at him before drinking it. It seemed easier to play along with this rather than argue it. He was finding that she had a stubborn streak about certain things and he couldn't see himself easily convincing her to stop.

"Lilia, why don't you tell us a bit about yourself?" Jauffre asked from the other end of the table. "Who were your parents? Where were you born?"

"My father was a diplomat and my mother was an alchemist. I was born in Dusk in the Summerset Isles." She answered.

"You're an Altmer? I thought you were an Imperial." Martin was surprised; she certainly didn't look like a High Elf.

"Well, I've got some of both of those races in me." Lilia replied.

"Really? I thought you were a Breton." Caroline said.

"I thought she had some Nord in her myself." Roliand added.

"I've got those as well." Lilia smiled.

"So then what are you?" Jauffre asked.

Lilia sighed. "Whenever my parents were asked that they told people that I was a daughter of Tamriel. According to them I've got a little bit of each of the ten races of the Empire in me, though most of them are very far back in my family tree."

"You're a Dragon born?" Caroline whispered, clearly shocked at Lilia's answer.

"How do you know my birth sign?" Lilia quickly asked back.

A heavy silence settled over the table as everyone realized that the two women had no idea what the other was talking about. Martin understood only one of the questions.

"What did you mean by Dragon born?" Lilia asked Caroline.

"She's referring to the legend that if anyone should happen to have the blood of all the races of Tamriel then they would be blessed with the same powers as the Septim line. Essentially you would be said to have the same blood as the Emperor." Jauffre said dryly.

To Martin's surprise Lilia laughed heartily at Jauffre's words. She shook her head slowly.

"I'm very sorry to disappoint you but I'm afraid it isn't true. I certainly don't have the divine blood of kings; the amulet wouldn't let me wear it."

"You dared try and wear the Amulet of Kings?" The Grandmaster sounded rather offended at the idea.

"Of course. I thought it would be the safest way to transport it. But the amulet certainly wouldn't allow that to happen. I don't know what magic it contains but it would jerk out of my hands when I tried to put it on. Would've made things more comfortable if I could have worn it. And before you ask, yes, I am certain that I have the ten bloods in me. My parents were very clear on the matter, at least as clear as they could be considering how long ago most of it happened." Lilia sounded very certain about her ancestory.

"That's where I've seen that colour before. Argonian, isn't it?" Martin nodded at Lilia's hair and was surprised when she gave him a huge smile.

"You're the first person who has ever guessed that. Yes, it's the only thing that comes from that race; I can't breathe underwater, I don't have any scales, or any of the other of their unique features. But this hair colour crops up from time to time in my family. The last one to have it was my great-great grandfather." Lilia chatted happily at him. "How did you figure it out?"

"There was an Argonian I healed years ago, his scales were the exact same colour. He'd been on his way to the Imperial City, apparently for a new job as a personal guard, when he met a…"

"What did you mean by birth sign?" Jauffre cut off Martin's reminiscence. He was a little annoyed at the interruption.

"It isn't so much of a birth sign as an astronomical phenomenon. It occurs every two hundred or so years and is only visible for a brief period of time in the southernmost part of the Empire. Dusk is about as far south as you can go. A red glow is said to light the southern sky and dance like flames. It is often referred to as Dragon's Fire." Martin answered the Grandmaster who was clearly surprised by his knowledge. As was Lilia; she was giving him a wide-eyed look of shock.

"How do you know that?" She asked.

"I've always been interested in astronomy and the powers of the birth signs. I read about it in a book years ago. Not many people are said to be born during the event; it only lasts a few minutes."

"Just enough time for my mother to finish bringing me into the world. I don't know if anyone was born at the same time as me though. Do you often gaze at the stars?" Lilia started chatting with him again.

"What does it do? What power does it confer?" Jauffre asked peevishly from the end of the table.

"Nothing. Not a single thing that I know of. Except perhaps curse my clothing. That's the only thing I can think of." Lilia answered crossly. She was getting annoyed at the constant questions. "Was there anything else you wanted to grill me about, or may I continue my conversation?"

Jauffre looked very unimpressed at her rebuff and shook his head to indicate that he wouldn't bother her any more. Lilia smiled an insincere grin at him before turning back to Martin.

"How often do you look up at the night sky?"

* * *

Lilia sighed deeply. She was seated across from him on the blue sofa in his room. She'd magically coated the walls again so they wouldn't be overheard. After they'd returned from dinner he'd asked her why she didn't seem tired. Somehow that had caused her to blink several times before ordering him to sit down. She'd said there was something he needed to know about her. 

"You probably won't believe me. I understand. All that I ask is that you promise me you won't repeat a word of this to anyone else." She was being very serious.

"I promise." Martin had heard many confessions during his service with Akatosh. He'd not betrayed a confidence yet.

"Try to listen first; I'll answer your questions after." Lilia sighed again. "My parents died sixteen years ago. In my grief I made a deal with the Gods. They could use me for their own purposes if I could have a chance to…make things better. They accepted my offer." She paused and looked at him, trying to gauge his reaction.

He wasn't sure what she was trying to say. Was she a Priestess of some sort? He knew many people who'd sworn servitude to the Nine; he'd taken those vows himself. Lilia seemed to guess his line of thinking.

"It's not like a religious oath. The Gods actually use me, work through me, to do things. I'm their puppet; they've taken control of my body in the past." She paused again and seemed to be getting frustrated. "I'm telling you this because it was the Nine who brought me into contact with the Emperor and it was the Nine that sent me back to Jauffre on the first of Rain's Hand. The Gods have pushed me to you and I don't know why. And I feel I must warn you, because the Gods are sick, heartless bastards. And right now you are in their favour and that worries me greatly."

"The Nine aren't that bad. Yes, they allow things to happen that we may not like, but…" Martin was sure she was over-reacting. She must be having a crisis of faith as a result of what had happened at Kvatch. He understood her feelings; he'd had a small one himself.

"You don't understand." Lilia stood up and was pacing back and forth in front of the sofa. "You have no idea what they've done to me. I shouldn't even be here right now talking to you." She stopped and looked sadly at him.

"Lilia, sit down. It's very common to question the Divines that way when you've been through something as traumatic as Kvatch…"

"Kvatch? Kvatch was terribly sad but it wasn't traumatic. Stop trying to preach your lies to me, Priest of Akatosh. I know just what the Gods really are. There is no comfort you can offer me, not after they've turned me into this." She was hissing at him now as she began pacing once more.

"Turned you into what?" His question caused her to freeze on the spot. She squinted at him, clearly thinking something over.

"Yes, perhaps you should know. Maybe you'll understand a bit better. At the very least you should know just what the Gods have sent to you." Lilia was busy pulling off her right glove as she spoke. Martin wasn't sure what she was doing; he couldn't possibly wear any more of her rings. Her hands were too small. She pulled off the small copper band on her pinkie finger. He watched in consternation as her aura stopped shifting and settled into a steady glow. She'd insisted he keep his detect life spell active at all times.

"Last year the Nine decided that they'd turn me into a vampire. I'm the undead. And they won't let me get cured, and they haven't let me die." She was intensely angry and Martin was desperately confused. She couldn't be a vampire. He'd seen her walk in the sunlight and she certainly didn't look like one. He shook his head; the poor woman must be delusional.

"You don't believe me. Feel this." Lilia sat down on the low table in front of him and grabbed his hand. She put it on her chest and waited. She'd stopped blinking again. As Martin pressed his hand against her he noticed she'd also stopped breathing. And he couldn't feel a heartbeat. He moved his hand up to her cold neck and squeezed, trying to catch a fluttering pulse. Nothing. Lilia was merely sitting there eyeing him with her unwavering disdainful stare.

He pulled his hand back and noticed her wry smile. Her voice was bitter as she spoke.

"That's why I don't sleep. That's why I don't usually eat. I'm not alive." She sighed again; Lilia had resumed blinking and breathing once more. She was looking down at her hand as she put the ring back on her finger. Once more her aura looked like that of a mortal's. "I'm sorry Martin. I really am."

"Sorry for what?" He did not understand her at all.

"For everything. Sorry that you've been sent an undead insane servant of the Nine for protection. Sorry that you need it in the first place. Sorry that I can't possibly leave you now, even though I should."

"No, you can't leave me now. I haven't found another steward yet." He gave her a smile. She sat up with surprise.

"Did you not just hear that? I'm a vampire. A blood-drinking monster. You can't possibly want me around. You should be trying to burn me alive or at least fleeing in terror." Now she was looking at him as if he was the crazy one.

"Yes, I heard that. And yes, I still want you around. If the Gods have sent you to me then it wouldn't be a good idea to get rid of you, now would it?" He didn't quite understand it himself. Even though she just revealed that she was an undead creature he still trusted her to protect him. Intellectually he knew he should be horrified, disgusted with her. Internally he didn't feel that way at all. Somehow it seemed to make sense that the Gods would send a vampire to help him; at least, it made as much sense as everything else that had happened in the last couple of days. "I don't imagine you're about to bleed me dry, are you?"

"No. Gods no. I would never do that." Lilia was very offended at the idea.

"Good. Now get off of my table. I want you to tell me more about this strange family of yours." He was pleased to see her smiling again. She sat back down on the blue sofa. He had just as much trouble believing that she was a vampire as that he was the Emperor of Tamriel.

* * *

Lilia watched the purple figure behind the silk hangings with a goofy grin. Martin was sleeping. He was sleeping soundly knowing that there was a vampire in the room. She shook her head and looked back to the fire. 

It was insane. But then she was insane. Mad, actually. Even still she knew just how crazy it had been for her to reveal her vampirism to him. Part of her had hoped that it would terrify him, frighten him away from her, make him order her to leave. That would have been the smartest thing he could do. But another part of her had been deliriously happy that he seemed to accept it. She tried to push that part away. Because that idea was the craziest she'd ever had.

Lilia wondered once more what she was doing here sitting in the bedroom of the future Emperor of Tamriel surrounded by his Blades. She should be living in a cave safely locked away from all mortals. And yet she knew she couldn't leave him. There was someone out there who wanted him dead. There was someone out there who had managed to remove the Amulet of Kings from the world of Nirn. And she knew that the Gods would never let her run out on this situation. But none of those were the real reason she couldn't leave him.

Sneaking another peek at the figure she found herself grinning like an idiot once more. There was no denying it; she was falling for Martin, Priest of Akatosh, bastard son of Uriel Septim, and future Emperor of Tamriel. Pelagius had nothing on her madness; she was truly in a class all by herself.

With a sigh she reached into her pack and pulled out the small glowing red orb she'd brought back from Oblivion. Closing her eyes she let her mind stretch out to infinity. She wanted to know just what powers this strange magical object contained.


	77. Chapter 77:  Baurus' Long Night

The ale was cold and smooth as it always was in the tavern. Bringing the mug back down to the bar he wiped his upper lip; small bits of foam clung to the skin. He pretended to stare down into the brew but his eyes never left the shiny shield tacked to the wall behind the bar as decoration. The Breton in the corner was still watching him.

Baurus wasn't happy about his new shadow. He'd only been back in the Imperial City for a week and already he had a tail. Whoever it was they were either very good or very well informed to have found him so quickly. He only hoped that this didn't jeopardize whatever mission Jauffre had planned for him.

It was good to be back in Cyrodiil though. The past year had been spent sweltering in the Argonian marshes. Baurus had been assigned to follow up some leads about the Mythic Dawn; despite his best efforts he'd come to the conclusion that it wasn't that he wasn't good enough to find anything out, it was that there had been nothing for him to find. The whole trip had been a colossal waste of time and he'd been very pleased to receive orders to return to Cyrodiil.

He hoped whoever it was that Jauffre was sending would get here soon. The Grandmaster was being very secretive and Baurus was sure something was wrong. Especially since he'd been hearing rumours about daedra destroying Kvatch. The sudden new orders that he'd received yesterday to rendezvous with a mystery person so soon after the daedric invasion made him think that it wasn't just coincidence. There weren't many coincidences when you were a Blade.

Taking another swig he tried to get some sort of clue about who the man was based on his clothing. As Baurus contemplated the origins of the Breton's leather vest he was aware of a sudden chorus of greeting behind him. He didn't turn to look; he didn't want to lose sight of what the man in the corner was doing.

"Tiger Lily! Let us buy you a drink."

"Thanks guys but I'll have to pass. Another time."

Baurus had heard the rumours of a new Grand Champion in the Arena. It was a very strange name to fight under but apparently she'd managed to beat three warriors single-handedly in combat. Perhaps it had been chosen not to intimidate, but rather to lull her opponents into a false sense of security. If he had to fight in the Arena he'd probably go by something like Cuddly Bear. Nobody would ever take him seriously and it would be their greatest mistake.

"Master Wizard. Raminus has been asking about you."

"Thank you Ontus. I'll get in touch with him right away."

Now that was strange. The same person seemed to be talking. But it didn't make sense; how could the Grand Champion be a Master Wizard? Just as he was about to look over his right shoulder to see if he'd been correct the man in the corner suddenly shifted and Baurus' attention was completely focused on the polished metal. He could solve the minor mystery later.

"Champion. I'm glad I found you; Modryn's been looking for you. He's in one of his moods."

"Gods. I'll go see him, don't worry about it. Thanks Sven."

The answer had come from right behind him and this time Baurus didn't hesitate to look over his right shoulder to see who had spoken. Not only was it the same voice but also she sounded vaguely familiar. All he saw though was a Nord dressed in steel armour heading towards the door. He turned back to the bar while taking another sip of ale.

"Hey stranger. Buy a girl a drink?" The voice purred from the stool to his left. Looking over Baurus noted the distinctive red hair and grey eyes of the woman next to him. The spray of ale he spluttered out in his shock caused the eyes to close; she didn't look very pleased at his greeting.

It was the prisoner. The woman who had been in the cell in the Imperial Prison, the woman who had been beaten so badly he'd thought she was a Dunmer, the woman the Emperor had given the Amulet of Kings, that same woman had been sent to him by Jauffre. And she was the same woman who had been hailed as Grand Champion, Master Wizard, and Champion. Even for a Blade he found this a strange turn of events.

She was wiping her face off with the sleeve of her blue robe. She gave Baurus a dirty look and hailed Luther, the innkeeper.

"Barkeep! My friend here wants to buy me some Cyrodiilic brandy. A whole bottle. Isn't that nice of him?" She gave Baurus a wicked grin; the little bottle would cost him a fortune. With a sigh he pulled out his coin purse. Jauffre had better reimburse him for this. The Grandmaster could at least have warned him about who he was sending.

The woman was now standing beside him, her body language clearly indicating that she wasn't at all pleased with him. This was good. He could see that the man was watching them intently. He had to make sure it looked as though she'd made a failed attempt at flirting with him.

"There's a Breton in the corner watching us. I'm going to get up from the bar and leave. Keep an eye on him and see what he does." Baurus whispered into his ale as he held the mug to his lips. He hoped she'd heard him.

Luther brought over a red bottle and took Baurus' hundred septim piece without bothering to look for change. The woman grabbed the brandy and huffed off to go sit at the other end of the bar. He really hoped that he hadn't made a mistake; surely she was the one that Jauffre had sent to work with him.

After a few more sips Baurus stood up from his stool and headed towards the door to the basement. He made his way down the brown stone steps and heard the door close behind him. Walking quietly down the hallway towards the washroom he heard the door open again. He stepped back into the shadows and drew his katana. He had a good idea of who had followed him down.

The door to the basement took a while to close, but he eventually heard it shut once more. Soft footsteps were coming towards him; they were hesitant and slow. It had to be the man. Baurus waited until the steps sounded very close and leapt out of the shadows.

"For Lord Dagon!" The Breton screamed before a coating of orange sparks covered his body; Baurus recognized the conjured armour and mace instantly. He brought his sword up to fend off the path of the mace; he wanted to keep this man alive. If he only he could ask him some questions.

So he was very unhappy when his blade, unstopped by the man's suddenly immobile weapon, arced up and cut open the assassin's throat. He was particularly unhappy by the woman's irritated tone as she questioned him.

"What did you do that for? He's no good to us dead. How are you going to learn anything from him now?" She was pointing at the body on the floor.

"Me? You're the one that froze him with paralyzation. I thought you didn't know any spells." Baurus pointed at her as he replied.

She sighed deeply. "I said there wasn't any magic that I could cast. I didn't say I didn't know any spells. I think we're getting off on the wrong foot here, and much as I love bickering with people I don't have the time for this. I'm Lilia. Pleased to see you again." She stepped forward and extended her gloved hand in greeting.

Shaking it he took a good look at her. He had no idea where she got the hair from but she definitely had the grey eyes of an Imperial. Her skin was a couple of shades lighter than his own; she must be a blend of Redguard and Imperial. He decided that she was a Redperial. Knowing so many people from all over Baurus had developed his own category of classification for those of mixed blood. He preferred the term Redperial to Impguard.

"Good to see you again Lilia. At least we meet under slightly better circumstances this time. Do you happen to know why Jauffre sent you?" Baurus was very curious; the Grandmaster hadn't mentioned anything except that he was to investigate the Mythic Dawn in the Imperial City and that he'd meet with someone he knew at Luther Broad's Boarding House.

"I have a few ideas, yes. He claims that I would be the best one to go undercover since I'm so well known. Doesn't seem very logical to me, but nothing else was being done and I don't have time to wait around. So apparently it's up to us to find and infiltrate this mysterious daedric cult. I don't suppose you happen to know where their secret headquarters is, do you? I'd like to get this done and get back to Martin. I'm not happy that I've left him alone."

"Martin?" Baurus was confused at the name. He was also a bit confused by her talk of daedra. "And daedric cult?"

"Jauffre didn't tell you? Perhaps it was some more Emperor's orders." Lilia's voice dripped with disdain. "I found the heir. His name is Martin and he's up at Cloud Ruler Temple. And I'm assuming that the Mythic Dawn is a daedric cult, as this fool shouted out about Lord Dagon. Only Dagon I've ever heard of is Mehrunes Dagon, nastiest Daedric Prince of them all."

She kicked the dead Breton with her foot and suddenly looked confused. Baurus watched as she knelt down and searched the assassin's body. Lilia fished out a large burgundy book that the man had hidden under his shirt.

"_Mythic Dawn Commentaries Volume 1_." She read off the title. "Gods! I'm an idiot!"

"I'm sorry, what?" Baurus had no idea what she was ranting about. Lilia was a strange one indeed. What had Jauffre sent him?

"The Arcane University. They have Volume 2. I even tried reading it months ago. I never made the connection between the title and the assassins." She was waving her arms in frustration.

"Why would you? The name of the cult was never told to the public." The Blades had revealed it only to a select few Imperial Legion officials who could be trusted to keep a secret. Why would Lilia have even heard of the name?

"Jauffre told me. I'm just upset I forgot about the book." She'd stopped flailing and was now very calm. Baurus watched as she cracked open the burgundy bound tome and read. Lilia shook her head as she flipped the pages. "Gibberish. Even for a daedra worshipper this is complete gibberish."

"But it must mean something. Why else would he be carrying it around?" Baurus looked down at the Breton on the floor. A dark pool of blood was rapidly expanding from the wound in his neck. He'd have to pay Luther even more septims to apologize for making a mess in his basement. "Wait, you said the University had Volume 2? Are you really a Master Wizard?"

Lilia laughed with amusement at the question. "Where have you been hiding? You are a Blade, aren't you? I'm shocked that you haven't heard the epic tale of my battle with Mannimarco. Don't tell me you haven't heard of my misadventures in the Arena either? Or my part in the destruction of the Blackwood Company? Despite my wishes otherwise all of those rumours seem to be in heavy rotation nowadays."

Baurus studied her again. He'd heard all of the rumours. The one about a Master Wizard who had somehow killed the King of Worms with the aid of a giant rabbit; the tale of the new Arena Grand Champion, who'd bested three warriors with some sort of sparkling staff; and the one about the new Fighters Guild Master and his unusual Champion who had led a group of guards into the halls of the Blackwood Company while tossing mercenaries left and right. He'd never for a moment thought that they'd all be the same person. Though the descriptions had all included something about a strange mix of armour. He frowned, that same description had started circulating about the woman who'd closed an Oblivion gate at Kvatch.

"You're the Hero of Kvatch, aren't you?"

"Godsdamn it. I hate that title most of all. Yes, that was me. But I had to close the gate to get Martin out of the city alive. It's not like I wanted to go running around in Oblivion. But why does it matter if I'm the Hero of Kvatch or a Master Wizard?"

"Right." Baurus remembered why he'd asked in the first place. "You said that the University had the second volume. The book must mean something if he was carrying it around. What you can do is go get the second one and see if you can find out anything about it. Ask Tar-Meena; she's full of useful information." The Argonian librarian had been a source of knowledge for the Blades for years.

"What will you do?"

" I've got some other sources I can check with. Can you move invisibly?" Lilia nodded at his question. "Good. I've got the room at the end of the hall upstairs. Come find me there and make sure nobody sees you. If I'm not there then wait for me, I'll make sure to come by frequently. Now you go back up the stairs first and act natural. I'll take care of the body and handle Luther."

"Okay. I'll come back as soon as I can." Lilia gave him a nod and ran off towards the stairs. Baurus stared down at the dead Breton. Luther hated it when he got blood on the floor; this was going to cost him a lot of septims. He sighed and hoped that Jauffre would reimburse him without incident for once. The Grandmaster could be so stingy sometimes.

* * *

He sat on the stool at the bar and sipped his orange juice. He was waiting for the now familiar poke in his back to indicate that Lilia had returned once more. Baurus wondered if the woman ever slept.

She'd woken him up last night with a poke in his back after she'd returned with a copy of _Mythic Dawn Commentaries Volume 2_. He'd read both of the books and had agreed with her assessment of them as being gibberish. It was like reading the diary of a madman. After a quick discussion he'd sent her back to consult Tar-Meena; the Argonian was very clever and might be able to help.

Another poke in the back had awoken him once more. Lilia had been bouncing around with excitement; the Argonian had discovered a pattern in the books. By taking the first letter of each paragraph a message was revealed. So far all they had was 'Green Emperor Way where' but at least it was a start. According to Tar-Meena there were four volumes in all so finding the third and fourth volumes would reveal the rest of the message. She'd suggested trying Phintias's bookstore in the Market District.

Baurus had needed to talk Lilia out of breaking into the bookseller's store; in her enthusiasm she'd suggested the idea. While he'd done more than his share of illegal activities in his service for the Emperor he couldn't see the point. She'd only have to wait a few hours for the bookstore to open.

She'd been so wound up, alternately standing, sitting, and pacing, that he'd been unable to sleep very well. He'd had nightmares that herds of impatient goblins were running around his bed. Abandoning all hope of rest Baurus had asked her about the various rumours floating around about her. Lilia had finally sat down and had told Baurus the real story behind them; while the rumours had a grain of truth to them as always they had been exaggerated or embellished. Though he still had trouble with her story about killing Mannimarco with some sort of ancestor bunny.

As soon as she'd heard the chapel bells ring nine times, indicating that First Edition had probably opened, Lilia had left Baurus in peace. He'd decided to head downstairs and grab breakfast figuring that she would return very quickly. It had now been over an hour since she'd gone and he was starting to wonder what was taking her so long.

A poke and a tug let him know that she'd returned. Lilia was very good at moving about invisibly; he'd seen her disappear and reappear in his room each time she'd visited.

A few more pokes caused him to stand up and walk up the stairs. His invisible partner obviously had something she wanted to tell him. Opening the door to his room Baurus left it open and made his way to go sit on the soft bed. A brief temptation to sleep passed over him; he was feeling very tired today.

"Green Emperor Way where tower touches." Lilia said as she became visible once more. "I've got volume three and I know where I can get volume four."

"The tower must be White Gold Tower." Green Emperor Way was another name for the section of the city that housed the Imperial Palace. But Baurus didn't know what it could be said to touch, other than the air or ground. "Why didn't you get the fourth book if you know where it is?"

"Here. Tell me where that is and I'll go get it." Lilia handed him a small note. Reading it he frowned.

"Where did you get this?" The note was addressed to someone named Gwinas; it was an invitation to meet with a Sponsor from the Mythic Dawn. This was an incredibly lucky break. "What did you do to Gwinas?"

"I didn't kill him if that's what you're asking. I told him the truth about the Mythic Dawn and he gave me not only the third book but this invitation as well. Where are the Sunken Sewers?" Lilia was hovering beside him and Baurus shook his head. She was clearly about to run off by herself to meet with the mysterious Sponsor.

"I'll show you. I'm coming with you."

"It says to come alone." She pointed at the note.

"You're not the only one who can move invisibly. I'm not going to let you go up against the Mythic Dawn without backup." Baurus wasn't about to let her run off and get herself killed. This was the best lead the Blades had gotten; too bad it had taken a year to get it. "In fact I'll take the meeting."

"No. Your identity has already been compromised. There's a good chance that they'll recognize you right away."

"And they won't recognize you?" He asked incredulously.

"Perhaps they will, perhaps they won't. Either way it doesn't matter; I've not got any connections with the Blades. Maybe Jauffre had the right idea in sending me. I've done enough seemingly random things that suddenly trying to join the Mythic Dawn won't be considered too unusual." Lilia muttered at the window. He was getting the impression that she didn't think much of the Grandmaster. That was a strange thing to see; Jauffre was brilliant. It's why he was Grandmaster in the first place.

"Are you ready to go?" He asked her as he stood back up.

"Just give me a minute. I have to make myself look presentable." She gave him a wink and started rummaging through her pack.

"Damn. I really liked this robe." Lilia said with a sigh as she stepped into the murky water. Baurus shook his head; she was turning out to be a very strange woman. He still couldn't believe that she'd made herself up in preparation for the meeting; when asked about it she'd called it her war paint. She'd also gone unarmoured instead wearing only a simple grey mages' robe for protection.

She also appeared to have an irrational hatred of mud crabs. She'd blasted every one they'd come across during their trek through the sewers with shock magicka. When asked she'd explained that she was worried about the diseases they carried. Which made no sense since she didn't seem at all concerned by the rats and they carried far deadlier diseases than mud crabs. Baurus stepped down into the water causing it to ripple out from his invisible leg. She'd agreed to let him accompany her provided he stay silent and out of sight.

Wading through the tunnel he heard her curse softly as she moved through a particularly mucky patch. Lilia seemed rather distressed by her ruined clothes and Baurus stifled a snicker. She may be strange but she could also be rather amusing. They emerged into a large room. A set of stairs led up to an upper passageway and a small wooden door was set in the wall to his right. He'd always wondered why there was a table and chair in the room that lay beyond; he'd seen it several times in his journeys under the city but he'd never seen it in use.

Lilia turned around and nodded at him while pointing up to the stairs. He knew that the passageway on the upper level ran through the room as a small walkway; he'd be able to observe everything from up there. She'd told him to ready his bow and wait for her signal before shooting anyone. She hadn't indicated what the signal would be but had merely told him he'd know it to see it. Baurus wondered if she even knew herself.

He made his way silently up the stairs and around the curved passage. He settled himself in and prepared his bow and arrow. Lilia walked into the room underneath him and sat herself in the chair at the table. An unusual Altmer with coal black hair eventually emerged from a metal gate on the side wall. He was carrying a burgundy book and was dressed in matching burgundy robes.

Baurus listened to the strange conversation below him. Lilia was doing an excellent job of pretending to be interested in joining the Mythic Dawn and serving Lord Dagon. She'd deflected his inquiries about Gwinas by telling Raven, as he'd called himself, that the Bosmer had been in her employ. She'd said it wouldn't do for a Master Wizard to be seen collecting the works of a daedra worshipper. Raven had been impressed by her discretion.

Baurus was a little disturbed as the conversation continued. Lilia seemed to be flirting with the mer. She was giving him suggestive smiles and warm looks; when Baurus had told her that she would work undercover he'd meant by pretending to be something she wasn't rather than in a literal sense. He sincerely hoped she understood the difference.

The Mythic Dawn agent was preparing to leave and Lilia quickly stood up and stepped close to him. As she grabbed his sleeve Baurus noted her send a strong green glow of magicka into the mer. Instantly his body language changed and he stepped even closer to her. He couldn't see Lilia's face anymore; the Altmer was standing in front of her and he had a clear view of the mer's back. He could hear her soft words as she asked further questions about the Mythic Dawn while slowly backing away from the now advancing High Elf.

Unfortunately for her Raven no longer seemed interested in talking about the Mythic Dawn or Lord Dagon. She'd backed against the wall and Baurus watched in horror as the mer bent his head down and kissed her. While he was impressed with her dedication to the cause he was rather disgusted by the whole thing. To his surprise he noted that Lilia was now making obscene gestures with her fists up at him. He suddenly realized that a faint ball of white magicka was floating on the Altmer's back; he wasn't sure how long it had been there. This must surely be her signal.

His arrow flew true and straight and Raven stepped back with a yell. He'd aimed at the ball of light and realized that it hadn't been over the mer's heart but a little to the side. The wound would still be fatal but not instantly so. Lilia's sudden screams of terror shocked him; she sounded truly upset that the High Elf was dying. Baurus couldn't understand why she was still pretending.

When she pointed Baurus out to the two Mythic Dawn agents who had run in from the gate he started to wonder if he hadn't been led into a trap. Why was she trying to get him killed? Not bothering to worry about that question for now he dodged out of the way of a fireball and sent an arrow into the forehead of the Dunmer. The Bosmer was running up the flight of stairs that connected to the walkway; he'd already conjured up his armour and weapon. Baurus took a moment to make sure his aim was correct; Lilia's angry invectives about what the Mythic Dawn agent should do to him was rather distracting.

The Wood Elf crumpled and fell off the walkway to the ground; his arrow had gone straight into the mer's eye. The Bosmer's conjured apparel and mace dissolved into the void. Baurus was aware that Lilia had stopped shouting and saw that she was now prying a ring off the hand of Raven while spitting constantly and cursing loudly.

"What in the Nine Hells was all that?" He asked as he stalked down the stairs to join her. Baurus was not happy that she hadn't bothered to help him. He was particularly unhappy that she'd actively encouraged his attackers.

"What in the Nine Hells were you doing up there? Staring at your navel? Why didn't you shoot this bastard when I signalled you to?" She kicked the body of the dead Atlmer and spat at it again. Lilia was clearly disgusted by what had happened.

"I shot him as soon as I saw your signal." Baurus felt a bit guilty; he'd been so fascinated yet horrified by the scene he'd been rather distracted. "Is that why you tried to get me killed?"

"I knew they wouldn't kill you; I've seen you fight. And I had to make sure they died thinking I was on their side. When they show up in Dagon's plane they'll remember that I wasn't with you; it should make things easier for me to infiltrate their cult. Dagon would surely warn them about me if he knew I was a spy. Speaking of which you'll have to disappear; I'm going to have to pretend that I've killed you and it wouldn't do for you to be seen wandering around." Lilia muttered at him as she stood and walked over to the small table. She picked up the burgundy book and flipped through the pages while Baurus digested her words. They made an awful lot of sense. He still wasn't happy that she'd called him a gutless murdering fetcher who should be strung up by his rather small...

"What time is it?" Lilia asked quickly.

"It was about eleven when we entered the sewers." Baurus answered.

"Where does that go?" Lilia pointed up at the walkway above them.

"To the Talos Plaza District. I think it leads to Dynari Amnis' basement."

"Green Emperor Way where tower touches midday sun. Go to Cloud Ruler Temple and wait for me there. Watch over Martin for me until I get back. Good seeing you again Baurus." Lilia shouted at him as she ran up the stairs and along the walkway. Baurus sighed heavily; she'd obviously finished deciphering the rest of the riddle and was now in a hurry to get to the palace before noon. He shook his head as he moved to search the bodies. Considering the strange way she behaved he revised his classification of her. She was no Redperiel; she was definitely an Impguard.


	78. Chapter 78:  Dawn is Breaking

Lilia cursed the Gods as she pushed through the brambles that snagged her blue robe. She'd already ruined her grey one and now this one was not fit for company anymore. She sighed and adjusted her pack; at least she'd had the foresight to stop in at Thoronir's and order several new ones. She'd actually placed a large order with instructions to have it all delivered up to Cloud Ruler Temple before running out of the Imperial City. Thoronir had been the only person she knew who she had dared to visit.

Lilia was still too nervous to go back to the waterfront. She was sure Methredhel was furious with her and she hoped that meant the mer wouldn't want anything to do with her again. It was surely safer that way. She'd also been very pleased that Raminus hadn't been in the University during her nocturnal visits with Tar-Meena in the library. The Arch Mage was currently on a tour of the guild halls of Cyrodiil implementing some of the changes they'd decided on. She wondered what had happened to the Kvatch members. There had been so few survivors from the daedric attack.

An attack that had been sent by Mehrunes Dagon. Lilia frowned as she thought about the Daedric Prince. He was the Prince of Destruction and probably the most cunning, dangerous, and deadly of all the Daedra. And he'd allied himself with Mankar Camoran, son of the Camoran Usurper. Together they'd plotted the assassination of Emperor Uriel and his three known sons. She still couldn't imagine why they'd done it though. For the last year nothing had happened even though they'd successfully completed their mission.

Except Kvatch had been attacked and the Amulet of Kings stolen. And it had happened at the same time the Gods decided they were going to start bossing Lilia around again. She never even considered the possibility that it was all coincidence. She'd long since stricken the word from her vocabulary. Her mind was certainly not as clever as Tar-Meena's though; no matter how she tried to put the facts together she could see no pattern, rhyme, or reason to anything. Except for the fact that Martin was in great danger and instead of protecting him she was about to join the Mythic Dawn.

She'd not done it for Jauffre. In fact she'd been quite unpleasant when he'd suggested she go off to the Imperial City and work with Baurus. But it had been Martin's words that had convinced her; when he'd asked her to go she'd been unable to refuse him. She cursed the Gods and then herself. Lilia wasn't falling for the man; she'd already fallen. There wasn't anything she wouldn't do for him and she sincerely hoped that he didn't suspect a thing.

It would most certainly not do for the Emperor of Tamriel to take up with an insane undead servant of the Nine. Not only was she convinced that she had very little time left in which she would retain any sort of sanity but unless she became mortal once more there would be no heirs from such a union. The needs of the citizens of the Emperor were greater than her own and she recognized that fact. But her practical mind couldn't stop the smile that came to her mouth every time she thought about the future Emperor. It was completely illogical; he wasn't even all that handsome. His chin was too large, he skin was starting to wrinkle, and his head was rather square. But his eyes were beautiful and his voice magical. Her current idea of heaven would be to look into those blue eyes and listen to him talk all day long.

She sighed and shook her head. According to the magical map that had appeared on the tomb of Prince Camarril when the sun was above the top of the palace she was almost at the headquarters of the Mythic Dawn. Lilia sincerely hoped that the horrible kiss had been worth it. The mer's tongue had been most aggressive and she still felt the urge to spit at the remembrance. She couldn't blame Baurus entirely for it; she suspected that if she'd let the poor man get any sleep he might have been a little quicker to react. The charm spell she'd hit the Altmer with, who'd been rather unimpressed with her flirting, had definitely been too strong. She'd remember that in future.

A wooden door was set into a large grey rock; this must be the place. Lilia paused briefly before heading towards it. It was time to focus on the dangerous task at hand. She needed to find out where the amulet had been taken and why the Mythic Dawn was so dedicated to assassinating Emperors. Unarmoured and unarmed she felt incredibly vulnerable but if she was to be trusted at all she certainly couldn't show up looking like a warlord. That would most likely give the daedra worshippers the wrong impression. Actually, it would give them the correct impression, which is what she was hoping not to give.

"Dawn is breaking." The Imperial in the familiar burgundy robes and hood greeted her. She was in the front section of the cave and noted the tapestry, a rising sun design worked on it, hanging above a very sturdy looking wooden door. Torches lit the space.

"Greet the new day." She quoted from the crazy writings of Mankar Camoran. The hooded man seemed satisfied by her answer.

"The time is late but we are pleased to have a new sister." He said as he unlocked the door. "Harrow will see to you. Welcome to your new family."

Lilia's flesh crawled at the mention of sisters and families. She hadn't heard such talk since her time with the Dark Brotherhood and she really didn't like the comparison. No good could come of this. A Dark Elf stepped into the room dressed in the same burgundy robes as the Imperial. The uniform was obviously the preferred clothing of the followers of Dagon. The mer studied her before nodding his head.

"Come. You're just in time to be initiated; Ruma is conducting the meeting. It is an honour to be inducted by the daughter of Mankar Camoran herself. But first we need to get you equipped properly. Lord Dagon takes care of all of our needs." The Dunmer spoke to her as she followed him down a narrow hallway and into a small room. He handed her a burgundy robe. "Put this on. You need not worry about your possessions anymore. Be free and join us."

Lilia faked a smile as she took the robe from him. Realizing that the mer had no intention of leaving her alone she put her bag on the floor and cast a chameleon spell. Harrow merely raised his eyebrows but didn't protest as she changed into the robe. It was even less enjoyable to wear than last time; with her enhanced senses the rough fabric irritated her greatly. She shoved her blue robe into her pack and picked it back up, letting her spell fade away.

"I'll take that." He held out his hand and Lilia didn't hesitate to give him her bag. She had to pretend to be happy to be here rather than show her current feelings of anxiety and anger. It's not like he could get into it anyway. "Welcome sister. Let me take you to Ruma."

As he led her along more hallways she asked him about the Mythic Dawn. His answers weren't exactly helpful but she did learn that the time of preparation was almost over and the time of cleansing was drawing near. While she didn't know what it meant at least it was a start. Harrow led her through another wooden door and Lilia looked around at the large cavern. Staircases had been carved into the rock and the one in front of her led down to a flat space where a stone dais had been constructed. A giant statue of Mehrunes Dagon loomed up over the High Elf who was currently speaking about a place called Paradise. Lilia followed Harrow down to join the other burgundy robed figures. They didn't notice her; they were too entranced by the Altmer's words. As she listened Lilia tried hard not to shiver; she didn't like what she was hearing at all. Especially the part about Mankar Camoran hiding in his Paradise with the Amulet of Kings. It was as she'd feared; the amulet was not on Nirn for her to retrieve.

"We have a new member who wishes to pledge herself to Lord Dagon." Harrow called out to Ruma after she'd finished speaking.

"Come sister." The Altmer smiled at Lilia as she made her way through the small crowd and up onto the platform. She was aware of the intense pulse of evil daedric magic coming from a book on the podium that Ruma was standing behind. Glancing at it she noted the dark serpent in her mind started hissing happily and she felt an intense desire to cause pain, to hurt everyone, rush through her. This was not good.

"Lord Dagon requires a sacrifice. He needs red drink; offer it to him in place of your own life's blood, which shall be his in the end. Take this dagger and slake his thirst." Ruma pressed a silver dagger into Lilia's hand and pointed towards an Argonian. He was lying on a flat stone bench and seemed to be asleep; she suspected that he'd been drugged.

Lilia quickly weighed her options. She wasn't about to murder an innocent Argonian in the name of Mehrunes Dagon, that much was certain. But she couldn't see the cult members accepting her refusal to do so graciously. She sighed softly. It looked as though all of her sneaky plans had been for naught. She looked up into the golden eyes of Ruma and smiled. With a speed that the mer certainly didn't anticipate Lilia grabbed her hair with her left hand and plunged the silver dagger into the back of the Altmer's neck with her right.

As she stepped back from the angry cultists she gave them a wicked smile. "What's wrong? Does Dagon require more red drink?"

She'd be only too happy to oblige.

* * *

Jeelius murmured softly; there was a cold hand on his shoulder shaking him gently. He tried to pull his mind out of a fog; he didn't remember much of anything. Opening his eyes he recoiled at the horror before him, convinced that he was about to die. May the Nine have mercy.

A woman stood in front of him dressed in the burgundy robes of the people who'd kidnapped him. He remembered that much. She was coated in blood; her face was covered in it. Her robes were tattered, torn, and stained terribly. He saw her calves clearly; the entire lower portion of the robe had been either burnt or ripped off. She noticed his stares and gave him a soft smile, which didn't comfort him much. He was far too nervous due to the blood dripping from the silver dagger in her right hand.

"I don't have all my rings of luck anymore." She pointed down at her robe with her left hand as she wiped the dagger on it with her right.

Jeelius had no idea what she was talking about. He wasn't even sure what she was; perhaps some sort of demon. He shrank back from her offered left hand.

"Please, I'm not going to harm you. They're dead. You're safe now." She gave him another smile and he tentatively held out his arm. As she helped him up he was very unhappy to see the symbol of the Necromancers tattooed on her hand. He was convinced he was about to die.

"Are you okay? Is there anything I can cast on you to help you?" She asked gently. He didn't care for the cold hands that were keeping him upright. Her kindness was very distressing to him. Surely it couldn't bode well.

"Come, I'll get you out of here." She guided the Argonian past the dead bodies, the empty podium, and up the stairs. Jeelius started to relax; she might actually have been sent to rescue him rather than kill him. He praised the Nine for their mercies and tried hard not to question their choice of servant.

* * *

"An ancestor bunny?" Martin couldn't believe it. He stared across to the Redguard who was chuckling softly at his own tale. The fire in the massive fireplace crackled beside them as they sat in the great hall of Cloud Ruler Temple.

Baurus had been telling Martin all about Lilia and her rather remarkable adventures in Cyrodiil. He was starting to wonder if what she'd told him was true; surely the Nine must be responsible for her continued survival. The concept of her battling the King of Worms alone, aided only by some sort of miniature ancestor guardian, was a very difficult one to accept.

"You'd better not call it that around her. Hanarai is a wild hare. Did she ever correct me about that fact." Baurus quickly said. The veteran Blade wasn't like the others at Cloud Ruler Temple. Where they were strict, orderly, prim, and young the Redguard was full of stories, humour, and highly experienced. "She can be quite testy for an Impguard."

"A what?" Martin asked with amusement.

"An Imperial Redguard blend. She's certainly no Redperial. Far too strange for that." Baurus was shaking his head and smiling at some private remembrance. Martin noticed Jauffre frowning at the fire; he'd been very quiet during this conversation and hadn't seemed to find any humour in Baurus' tales, not even the part where a heavily charmed Mythic Dawn agent had kissed Lilia during their adventures in the sewers. Martin had laughed loudly at the mental image; he could just picture the strange woman kicking a dead body peevishly while spitting furiously.

"She's neither. She's actually got a bit of everything in her." Martin said. He told Baurus about Lilia's unique ancestry and how it didn't confer any divine blood on her.

"Who did you say her parents were?" Baurus had stopped chuckling and asked the question in a very curious voice. Martin didn't get a chance to answer.

"Martin! I told you I'd be right back. Baurus, good to see you. I hope you've been looking after him in my absence." Lilia was walking down the centre aisle, past the empty wooden tables, towards the seated men as she greeted them warmly. Except for Jauffre, her voice was icily polite and her smile unnaturally wide when she nodded to him. "Jauffre."

"What did you learn? What of the amulet? Why are you back so soon?" Jauffre asked quickly. Lilia shook her head at the questions.

"It's gone. Taken by Mankar Camoran to his Paradise, which seems to be a mini-plane of Oblivion that Mehrunes Dagon has made for him. I wasn't able to learn much more than that but I did bring back something special of theirs." She opened her pack and floated out a large grey book. She directed it over to Martin and as he grabbed it he felt the powerful daedric magic it was infused with. The daedric script was easy to read. She'd taken the _Mysterium Xarxes_; the book was legendary. It was said to have been written by Mehrunes Dagon himself.

"By the Nine! Such a thing is dangerous even to handle. You were right to bring it but you'd better leave it with me, I know some ways to protect myself from its evil power." Martin admonished her; she surely had no idea of what she'd been carrying around.

To his complete bewilderment Lilia started laughing loudly. It wasn't any sort of hysterical laughter, or bitter chuckles, but a pure mirthful laugh as if he'd said the funniest thing ever. The three men watched her as she doubled over and sank down to her knees, still laughing and giggling at some private amusement. It wasn't until her laughs were punctuated by exclamations of pain did she finally manage to bring herself back under control.

"Would you care to share with us just what you find so funny?" Jauffre asked dryly.

"No. It's a private joke." Lilia answered while standing back up from the floor.

"What happened?" Baurus asked.

Lilia explained her trip to the cavern where the Mythic Dawn had hidden, her meeting with Ruma Camoran, and gave a brief description of how she'd made sure to kill every member of the cult in the cave before freeing an Argonian named Jeelius. Martin was surprised at the name; the Argonian had been working at the Chapel in Kvatch the first year of Martin's service. He always visited him at the Temple of the One if he ever went to the Imperial City. He hadn't made the journey in almost two years; he'd had no reason to leave Kvatch and travelling wasn't something he found as appealing as he used to.

"This is not good. Without the amulet we cannot prove that Martin is the heir." Jauffre was not happy at the news. Lilia gave him a contemptuous look as he spoke; Martin was confused by her expression.

The disdainful glare she gave him as she looked at his clothes made more sense; he hadn't put on his chainmail today. She'd noticed and looked rather upset by it. He still didn't understand why she was so paranoid. He was in the headquarters of the Blades after all.

"Martin, can I talk to you in private for a moment?" She gave him a syrupy smile and he felt a bit worried; it was the sort of smile she gave Jauffre all the time. With a sigh he put the book under his arm and nodded. Lilia continued to give him that slightly troubling smile as she guided him up to his room.

"Ow! Don't do that!" He exclaimed. She'd zapped him with a jolt of shock magicka after closing the door and casting her silence spell. The book fell from his arms.

"Why aren't you wearing your armour? How dare you send me off and then fail to protect yourself?" Lilia shocked him again while moving further into the room; Martin did not appreciate her actions in the slightest.

"Stop it!" He was now thoroughly irritated at her.

"What are you going to do about it Priest of Akatosh? Since you're obviously so powerful you don't need to worry about armour. Bloody arrogant mage." Lilia zapped him once more; she seemed very annoyed at him. This was absurd; he was the purported Emperor of Tamriel and his quasi-steward was standing in the middle of his bedroom shooting magical lightning into him. If she wanted to see what he could do then he'd show her. He fired off a jet of magical ice at her; she whirled away from it and it hit the top of his desk. The contents scattered across the room, including the nearly full inkwell that flew over and landed on Lilia's green robe. Martin froze; she seemed to have a thing about her clothes.

Instead of ranting at him she started laughing again. He didn't join in but instead watched her warily. She picked up the now empty bottle and put it back on the desk before sending what appeared to be a magical warmth into her robe. The wet ink dried up quickly; she now had several patches of black ink that looked vaguely like a flock of sheep on her clothing.

"Sit." She pointed at the sofa and he quickly sat down. At least she wasn't tossing spells at him anymore. Lilia sat on the other sofa and shook her head. "You don't understand the gravity of the situation, do you?"

"Yes, I think I do. Without the amulet I cannot be proclaimed Emperor. I'll be stuck here until it is recovered." Martin answered. To his surprise Lilia laughed at his reply.

"No, you certainly don't. Have you not thought about the strange coincidences that have happened? The Emperor's secret escape route happens to be filled with assassins. I'm sent to find you the same day that daedra invade Kvatch. We return to the priory just in time to see the amulet get stolen. There are no coincidences Martin, not when you're a puppet of the Divines."

"Jauffre has already pointed all of this out to me. I'm well aware that the enemy knows far more than we understand." The Grandmaster had discussed the exact same thing with him earlier today. He'd had the suspicion that Jauffre was somehow trying to implicate Lilia as being guilty of some form of treachery. Which was absurd, as she'd had ample opportunities to kill him if she so desired.

"Jauffre? He's a cunning bastard, that one. Probably tried to pin it on me, didn't he?" She was frowning at him as she asked. Martin was amazed at her paranoia, which currently seemed to be slightly accurate.

"Is there any particular reason you don't trust him?" He was very curious as to what she was thinking. She certainly seemed to think along very different lines from most people.

"He let you idle in Kvatch for a year because he couldn't disobey a dead Emperor's orders. I have a very low tolerance for blindly loyal fools and I'm not exactly impressed that he let the amulet get stolen. I can't trust a man who could fail in such an important task, especially as he's the Grandmaster of the fetching Blades. So no, I don't trust him at all." Lilia seemed to be getting wound up again.

"Is there anybody you do trust?" He was starting to suspect there wasn't.

"Yes. There are a few people, actually. One of them is sitting in this room right now. Another is out in the great hall. The rest of them you've never met." Her voice was much calmer as she spoke and he felt a bit pleased to know that she trusted him. Which was a good thing if he turned out to be her Emperor; he hoped that people would trust him.

She sighed. "Something is completely wrong with this situation and I have no idea what it is or what we can do about it. In the meantime I've brought you something that you need to wear at all times." She pulled off her left glove and Martin noticed the tattoo on the back of her hand. It was hideous but he knew where she'd gotten it.

Lilia slid a silver ring off of her thumb and passed it to him with her ungloved hand. She noticed his curious look and held it out to him. Taking it he noticed just how cold it was; she was the same temperature as the room. He still had trouble believing she was a vampire.

"I can tell you've been warned about it. I'm not ashamed to display it anymore but it does have a tendency to frighten people. That won't work but thanks for trying." Lilia smiled at him; he'd been sending tentative restoration magic into the flesh. Releasing her cool hand he looked at the ring. It was a plain band of silver.

"What does it do?"

"Provides you with some powerful magical resistance. Put it on." She urged him to try it. He managed to get it onto his index finger of his left hand. It was a curious sensation; his magicka responded to it as a gently refreshing chill breeze running up his spine. "Let's see if it works."

"Hey! That tickles." Martin exclaimed as she sent another small burst of shock magicka into him.

"Perfect. Stay here." Lilia was making her way to the door.

"Where are you going?" He managed to ask her before she'd left the room.

"To go get the only other person in this place that I trust. We need to figure out just what we're going to do about keeping you alive. And I need goblets. Be right back." She gave him a wink and disappeared out the door.

Martin lit the dry logs in the fireplace and sighed deeply. His steward was turning out to be highly unpredictable. He watched the flames burn and wondered just what she was going to do with goblets.


	79. Chapter 79: Completely Logical

"And that's when he told me that he was actually the Prince of Northpoint. Can you believe it? I thought he was a Nord grandmother!" Baurus finished telling his story to the laughter of the future Emperor of Tamriel and his undead steward. The Cyrodiilic brandy Lilia had brought back from the Imperial City had certainly helped keep the mood light.

"Look with your mind, not with your eyes." Lilia wagged a finger at Baurus as she spoke. To his surprise Martin noticed the Redguard stop chuckling and sit up straight.

"Who told you that?" The Blade asked as he stared at the woman.

"My father. He had a lot of interesting sayings. He was a diplomat after all." She shrugged her shoulders as she replied.

"What was your father's name?"

"Eraden. My mother was Erissare."

"Eraden? Not Eraden the Bosguard?" Lilia laughed at Baurus' question.

"Bosguard? What is a Bosguard?" She questioned in between giggles.

"Perhaps you meant Redmer." Martin offered helpfully.

"A Bosmer Redguard mix. He wasn't a short dark skinned mixed blood mer with brown hair, blue eyes, and a physique like an iron golem, was he?" Baurus elaborated.

Lilia's mouth dropped open in shock. "You met my father? Why would you have met my father?"

"Blades business, of course. He was one of our best. Never did meet him more than a handful of times though; he was too busy traveling the Empire." Baurus waved his half full goblet as he spoke. The man had been enjoying what he referred to as his Cyrodiilic brandy.

"My father wasn't a Blade. He was a diplomat." Lilia shook her head as she rejected the notion.

"How do you think he became a diplomat? What do you think he did before he got the post?" Baurus' questions caused Lilia's head to stop moving.

"I never thought about it; he was a diplomat long before I was born. Personally I always suspected he'd been a pirate or something like that in his youth. He never really talked about it much and I never thought to question him." A large sigh escaped her.

"He was a Blade, he couldn't tell you about it. He was undercover for decades playing the role of the minor Imperial envoy. Eraden was one of our best spymasters and one hell of a brilliant man. I'll never forget what he taught me."

"Taught you? What did he teach you?" Martin was rather curious at what the Redmer had shown the Redguard.

"He emphasized the importance of the element of surprise. Never let your enemies know what you're thinking…"

"…only show them what you want them to think. Did he tell you the one about looking ridiculous?" Lilia interrupted.

"Don't be afraid to appear foolish, for then you can make fools of your enemies. Yes, he taught me that one at our first meeting. I'll never forget that night."

"Please, tell me about it." Martin noticed her smiling happily as she requested the story.

"Of course. I was up in Hammerfell on an undercover assignment when I received orders that I was to travel to the city of Sentinel and meet an agent in a tavern. When I got there I found out that the tavern was the sort of establishment where gentlemen who prefer the company of other gentlemen liked to frequent, if you know what I mean. I'm sitting at the bar nursing an ale when a large Nord walks up. The man was drunk and rather infatuated with me. Quite understandable, really, happens all the time. However, despite my best efforts he wasn't taking no for an answer. Ever had a drunken Nord try to drag you on to the dance floor? Not a fun experience.

I'm starting to worry about how to get rid of him without violence, as I hadn't yet met my contact when suddenly this Bosguard shows up and slaps me! He started ranting on about how could I cheat on him, and how could I have given him witches' pox. When he got to the part about the dire diagnosis of the healers and which of his body parts was going to fall off first the Nord was long gone and the rest of the patrons were trying very hard to ignore me. It was a clever strategy; everyone was so busy trying to shun us they didn't seem want to pay any attention to our whispered conversation in the corner."

By the time Baurus had finished his tale Lilia was laughing loudly with pure delight. "Gods, that sounds exactly like something he would think to do." She managed to stammer. Martin chuckled, to him it sounded exactly like something Lilia would do. Her strange ways now made a bit more sense to him.

"Our other meetings weren't quite so dramatic but he did try and give me a few pointers on how to blend in and stay sharp. Those were the other things he was very good at; secrecy and observation."

"You have no idea. If you thought the courts of the Empire were paranoid you never lived with my father. Everything meant something to him; the strange thing though is he was frequently correct in the conclusions he jumped to. He noticed every little detail; I never was able to get away with much around him. He'd see the type of mud on my shoes and just know that I'd been playing outside near the moat, which was off limits, or he'd catch the way I was eyeing the door to the kitchens and forbid me from stealing pastries before I'd even thought of the idea. Of course that just meant I had to learn how to come up with cunning plans in order to accomplish my mischief." Lilia was grinning happily as she spoke.

"Is that why you act so..." Martin started asking before trailing off. He wasn't sure how to phrase it without Lilia getting offended. 'Odd' probably wouldn't go over well.

"Strangely? Yes, I know my line of thinking seems rather bizarre to everyone. Personally I blame my father for all of it. He was always telling me to try doing something differently or encouraging me to wonder about possibilities. It's his fault that I got into the sort of trouble that I did, as I'd normally be doing something that seemed completely logical at the time in a completely backwards fashion. Like the time the guards caught me crawling around the roof of Castle Leyawiin. He'd asked me to watch out for a ship that was going to be arriving in the harbour and I thought that it would be far easier and faster to just wait on the highest point of the castle and watch from there rather than go all the way down to the dock."

She chuckled at the remembrance. "The Khajiiti guards were not impressed when they discovered the source of the sinister noises above the Prince of Leyawiin's bedroom to be a young girl rather than an assassin. Especially when I started protesting that there were no laws against climbing on top of castles as they hauled me down from there. My parents were not amused by the incident, though the Prince certainly was. Years later my father told me that my crazy antics had caused such a good mood in the Prince that he finally signed off on the corn tariff my father had been sent to implement."

"He told me about that one. Occasionally he would tell me stories about his family, though he never mentioned your names. He said you were a daughter of Tamriel when I asked what you were. Your mother was a Altton, yes?" Baurus had chuckled at Lilia's remembrance. Martin had as well; he couldn't begin to imagine the trouble the strange woman must have gotten into as she'd traveled through the courts of the Empire. He strongly suspected that climbing on castle rooftops was probably one of her more minor offences.

Lilia wasn't able to answer right away; she was too busy giggling at Baurus' terminology. "An Altton and a Bosguard. I love it. But they had more than just that in them though those were their predominant races. What would you call an Imperial Bosmer cross?" Lilia finally managed to ask.

"A Bosperial. Impmer sounds too silly for me." Baurus answered with a straight face prompting another round of giggles from Lilia.

"What about a Nord Dark Elf mix?"

"Easy. Nordmer."

"But how do you know which flavour of mer you're referring to?" Martin inquired. Lilia was too busy laughing to ask further questions.

"Simple. If it was a Nord and Bosmer that would be a Bosnord. An Altmer Nord would be an Altnord. So a Nordmer is obviously a Dark Elf Nord blend." The Blade explained it as if it was the easiest concept to grasp.

"Gods Baurus, I completely believe that you met my father. I've never met anyone else whose logical ways of thinking make both so much and so little sense." Lilia raised her goblet and toasted. "To creative logic."

"To creative logic." As Martin repeated the toast he came to the sudden realization that the two people who'd been making plans to keep him alive both had a penchant for the same highly unusual school of thought.

* * *

"Get up. We've got a lot to do today." He felt the covers magically fly off of him and he muttered an oath. Lilia was trying to wake him up.

"One more hour." He mumbled. His mouth felt fuzzy; while he'd not drunk too much brandy last night it had been enough to cause his tongue to feel as though it had grown a layer of fur.

"Nope. Now get up or I'll get you up." Her voice sounded ridiculously chipper and he made an obscene gesture at the silk curtain that hid her from view. "Now that's not very noble of you. Last chance, Emperorling."

"Emperor. I'm the bloody Emperor and you're my bloody steward. I'm ordering you to leave me alone." He hugged his pillow tighter and was aware that both it and him were now floating above the feather mattress. Lilia was using her telekinesis magic on him and he rolled his eyes.

"I may be your steward but I'm not your Blade. I don't have to obey your orders, oh Divinely appointed one. Now get up and have your breakfast; the pancakes are delicious and they're going to get even colder if you wait any longer." With that she dropped him back down to the mattress. He growled softly in response before flinging back the curtains and stomping out of bed.

"What happened to my food?" Instead of just a few pieces here and there she'd eaten a large portion of his meal. His stack of pancakes had been cut in half, his ham steak was missing the entire right side, and his bowl of blackberries was not at all full. At least she'd left him his orange juice.

"They're feeding you too much. You'll have all the time in the world to challenge Uriel IV for the title of fattest Emperor once you're on the throne but until then you've got to keep fit. Now eat up." Lilia smiled impishly as she dodged out of the way of the small frostball he sent at her. It landed against the wall instead. "Too slow Priest of Akatosh. And Jauffre's going to get mad at you if you keep getting the walls wet. It's ruining the wallpaper."

Sitting down to breakfast at his desk he could hear her humming behind him as she moved about. It was too early in the morning for this much good humour. She was right though; the pancakes were delicious. Draining his orange juice he found a pair of laced leather pants magically floating in front of him. At least they had once been pants; they'd been cut off into a pair of shorts. Rather short shorts.

"What is this?" He turned to look at his steward. She had a large grin on her face and he frowned in response; he had a very good idea of what they were for.

"Your training uniform. Now put them on. I've got a lot to teach you." She was battering the shorts softly against his fists. Martin didn't plan on taking them.

"I will not wear those. I refuse."

"What's the matter Priest of Akatosh? Don't have the stones to wear them?" She stuck her tongue out at him as she taunted him. He didn't like it when she called him Priest of Akatosh. Though it was better than Emperorling.

"Of course I have the stones to wear them. I'm just worried about what they'll do to my stones if I do." He answered dryly, causing the vampire to dissolve into giggles and the shorts to fall onto his head as she lost control of her spell.

* * *

The door to the training room was locked, bolted, and had an empty weapons rack pushed in front of it. The walls had been coated with silencing magic and they were completely alone. Martin frowned; he was still unhappy about her strange demands. She was standing in front of him with her arms crossed and that disdainful expression on her face. She shifted position and her stained green robe waved slightly; the ink sheep appeared to be walking.

"Take it off. I don't have years to train you; if I'm to teach you anything I'm using every trick in the book. Now hurry it up. You've dawdled enough this morning." As she spoke Lilia went clear and wavy, her chameleon spell active. He watched her green robe fly over in a wadded ball onto the empty rack. He sighed and did the same thing; he was not looking forward to the stares and questions that were about to follow.

Seeing his grey robe get tossed across the room Lilia became visible once more and Martin blinked in surprise. The mystery of why her chainmail greaves had fit him so well had been solved. She obviously took after her father.

Lilia was dressed in a pair of cut off laced leather pants and a similarly modified leather vest that exposed her stomach. Like him she wore nothing on her feet. He looked at her body and noted that she was one of the most solidly built women he'd ever met. He'd believe she had Orc blood in her before he'd believe she had any Altmer ancestors. Her arms were thick and muscular and her sturdy legs were almost as large as his own. She still had a feminine shape to her but she was the least dainty thing he'd ever seen. Glancing back up to her face he noticed her arched brow and withering look.

"What's wrong? See something you like, Priest of Akatosh?" She sounded very bitter as she asked. Martin blushed; he hadn't been ogling so much as boggling. Waiting until he felt his face return to normal he dropped his own spell.

"Finally. Get into a battle stance." Lilia quickly started the lesson. As Martin braced himself she walked around him and he waited for the inevitable gasp. Much to his surprise she said nothing at all until she returned to face him.

"Terrible. I thought you said you'd had lessons." She shook her head at him as she stared at his feet. He was a little annoyed at her attitude.

"I did. I had some training from a former soldier."

"I'm sure he was a former soldier for a reason. Your posture is awful. How can you hope to survive balanced like that?"

"Balanced like what?" As he asked he found himself falling backwards; she'd shoved him suddenly. Her telekinesis spell caught him before he hit the ground and she brought him back up to standing.

"Like that. I shouldn't have been able to do that. I don't even need a weapon to take you down. Here, look at how I place my feet. You're putting all of your weight on the edges and then making things worse by locking your knees. You've got to keep your lower body loose. Try pushing me." She was standing beside him and demonstrating her own stance. He turned to give her a shove.

"There's something on your back." He pointed; he could barely see it at the angle she was currently standing in.

"What is it?" She asked as she turned away from him.

Martin gasped. He hadn't meant to but the hideous scars had startled him greatly. Great furrows ran down from under her left shoulder blade towards her right hip, disappearing under the leather shorts. A smaller set crossed them on the small of her back. The skin was shiny and pink in the grooves; it was as if a monster with flaming claws had attacked her.

"What's wrong?" She was craning her head around, trying to look at her back.

"Nothing. It was a shadow; I thought it was a bug." He lied quickly.

"Oh. Okay then. Now try to push me." She'd returned to her stance and Martin gave her cold arm a shove. He felt her press back against his hands in response; she hadn't budged. "Look at my legs, notice what muscles are working."

As he glanced down he understood just why she'd chosen such revealing outfits for them to practice in. He could see exactly what she was doing as she resisted his pressure.

She whirled away out of reach and he stumbled. Lilia clucked her tongue and shook her head.

"You're not supposed to be the one who falls over in this scenario. You let your upper body get completely out of alignment; as a man you've got a different centre of gravity. You're top heavy so you need to be aware of where your shoulders are in relation to your hips. Watch, I'll show you how you should push."

As the session wore on Martin found himself wishing that she didn't have so much clothing on; he couldn't see certain parts of her back muscles as she taught him how to balance and brace. And he would have liked her shorts to be shorter in order to better follow her demonstrations of how to absorb blows. She wasn't teaching him anything about weapons or using a shield; rather she was trying to teach him the basic body mechanics of combat. Baurus was going to train him in swordsmanship; Lilia had quickly ruled herself out for that role. She claimed that her method of fighting wasn't at all suited for Martin.

Despite the restoration magic he used to remove the fatigue from his muscles Martin was getting very tired by lunchtime. His stomach was also growling; he wasn't happy with Lilia's morning pancake thievery. She stood back when he'd made a particularly noisy rumble; she'd begun giggling at him before mastering her mirth.

"You've done well for a spoilt Priest. Get dressed; we'll work on your magic after you've eaten." She magically pulled her green robe from across the room and tugged it back over her head. He was still amazed that she was a vampire. When he'd asked why she wasn't sweating while he'd been mopping his brow she'd merely pointed at herself and said 'vampire.' The same answer had been given when he'd commented about her speed and her cold skin. While he knew intellectually that she was a vampire he still couldn't fully accept it; she seemed far too much alive to possibly be dead.

He used his own magicka to retrieve his robe and pulled it on while watching Lilia remove the barricades from the door. That had been done at his insistence; Martin hadn't wanted anyone else to see the scar on the back of his left upper arm and shoulder. He certainly hadn't been comfortable showing it to the vampire, though she'd seemed not to even notice it. He suspected her own shame at her scars had kept her tongue in check. But now he was incredibly curious as to where and how she'd gotten them.

The door to the training room once more open he followed Lilia up to the dining hall. Baurus was already seated to the left of the end of the table where Martin usually sat. To his surprise he noticed that a loaded plate had been set for him.

"You're still alive. He's safe to eat?" Lilia asked Baurus; they'd discussed Martin's need for a taster last night. While he still didn't think such precautions were necessary he had been far more agreeable to the idea when Baurus had also insisted upon it. If both of them were convinced of the merits he couldn't argue the plan.

"Yes. How did the training go?" The Blade replied as Martin seated himself.

"He's got a lot to learn but he's picking things up pretty quickly. You can have him tomorrow." Lilia answered. She sat down in the chair on the right side of him. There wasn't anyone else at the table; they'd either already eaten or were still on patrol.

"What are you doing with him this afternoon?" Baurus asked. Martin was starting to get annoyed; he was sitting right there between them. While he was busy with his lunch he still didn't appreciate being discussed in front of himself.

"I'm going to try to teach him some magic that should help keep him alive. He's a decent mage, hopefully it won't be too difficult." Lilia stopped nibbling on a roll as she replied.

"If you don't mind, I am right here." Martin growled in between bites. To his surprise both Baurus and Lilia began laughing.

"Poor little Emperorling. If you get offended by us talking about you I can't imagine how you'll handle the Elder Council." Lilia gave him a condescending pat on the arm and he frowned at her, which promptly caused her to giggle. He shook his head and turned his attentions back to lunch. He wasn't particularly pleased that she found him such a constant source of amusement.


	80. Chapter 80: Oranges and Sweetrolls

"Damn it! You're dead again." Martin flinched as the sharp tip poked itself into the back of his neck. The assassin had succeeded. She grabbed his hand with her cold one. "At least you survived a bit longer this time. Let me cast it for you once more. Try to relax; you're too distracted."

He tried to push away all of the thoughts that kept demanding his attention. She could cast all she wanted; he didn't think he was in the right frame of mind to be learning this right now.

The session had started off well. Lilia had explained her background with the Psijics, which had threatened to turn into a very long and interesting conversation, before she'd grabbed his hand and insisted they start practicing. They'd gone over Martin's invisibility spell, shield spells for both magical and physical attacks, and his detect life spell. She'd also learnt the restore fatigue spell she'd been so fascinated with. It had been such an odd sensation to cast it; it had felt as though he'd had to cast it through an invisible barrier.

It was around the time that they began working on the detect life spell that Martin found his concentration wandering. He'd been trying not to think of it, any of it, but the terrible memories of Kvatch had been too strong to keep out. As she tried to teach him her version of a detect life spell he'd been reminded of their trip through the devastated city and the complete lack of survivors that they'd found. Hundreds of people had perished in the attack. And it was all because of him that they'd died. The worst part is that this wasn't the first time he'd been responsible for the deaths of others.

So as she'd moved around him as he kept his eyes closed and tried to maintain the spell it hadn't been surprising that the quill she was using as an imitation dagger kept poking him in vital spots. He was supposed to be tracking her movements with his mind, pointing at her with his hand as she crept about the room silently, but he'd been unable to think about anything except that terrible night. He could almost smell it; the scent of smoke from the fireplace in his room reminding him of the fires that swept the city consuming both the buildings and the inhabitants alike.

"I'm over here. Let's take a break." Lilia's voice came from in front of him; he'd been pointing at the back left corner of the room. Martin opened his eyes to find her studying him. He found it odd; she seemed so unaffected by what had happened. She'd called Kvatch terribly sad but not traumatic. Not traumatic; what could she have seen in her life that would cause her not to be traumatized by the results of the daedric invasion? She sat on the sofa and began floating the altered shorts and vest she'd changed out of earlier from the floor and back over to her bag with telekinesis. She had a terrible habit of just abandoning things wherever the mood struck her. He'd found a quill beside his tub and a goblet on top of a wardrobe already.

"Why didn't you tell me about yourself in the forest?" He asked. Martin was rather curious as to why she'd not mentioned that she was a Master Wizard or Champion when she'd rescued him from Kvatch. Even when Jauffre had tried to dismiss her from Cloud Ruler Temple she'd not used her rank and accomplishments as an argument to stay with Martin.

"You mean my being a vampire?" She looked rather confused.

"No. I mean why didn't you tell me that you were the Grand Champion or that you had a seat on the Council of Mages." He'd had to learn all of this from Baurus; it had been a bit unsettling to find out that his undead steward had such a storied past. One that she'd neglected to mention.

"You really want to know, Priest of Akatosh, future Emperor of Tamriel?"

"You know I don't like it when you call me that. I'm Martin." He protested softly.

"Exactly. Do you know how nice it was to be just Lilia for a change? Not the saviour of the Mages Guild or the Hero of Kvatch. But just plain, simple Lilia. It's driving me crazy; now that the Blades know about me they're greeting me with 'Hail, Master Wizard' and 'Hail, Champion' all the time. I'd really prefer just 'Hail, Lilia.' Those may be my titles but they're not who I am, if you know what I mean."

Martin nodded. He understood exactly what she meant. He'd scolded a poor Blade yesterday who'd greeted him as an Emperor and essentially fawned over him. He still remember how he'd asked young Arcturus to call him Martin; he'd pointed out that he wasn't yet Emperor, merely the bastard son of a dead Emperor instead.

"Can I ask you something? If you don't want to answer I'll understand." Lilia nodded at his question. The one thing she seemed to be around him was honest. He wanted to ask her about her scars; he was wondering if they'd been caused by some sort of daedric attack. There weren't many things that could cause a scar like that. If an injury was tended to quickly enough with restoration magic then no trace would remain. If it was allowed to heal naturally then a scar would be left behind. And certain injuries couldn't be healed fully with restoration magic or temple blessings; such wounds left indelible marks on the victim. Judging by the vicious look of her scars he doubted that she'd let them heal naturally; she probably would have bled to death or died of infection first.

Before he could ask she'd leapt up from the sofa. Lilia was staring at the door and standing in a now familiar stance.

"Get behind me." She was positioning herself between him and the door and he quickly stood and made his way over to her.

"What is it?" He asked, readying a frost spell at the same time.

"Baurus." She replied after sniffing the air. Her posture relaxed. With a wave of her hand the door to his quarters magically opened and the Redguard came in.

"Lilia, you should probably get out here. Jauffre's furious. It seems more than just your order has arrived."

* * *

"Get away from me, you crazy tree hugger! I've got to drop this off and get back to the Imperial City." Martin heard the irritated voice before he saw the Dark Elf. The mer was standing further down the road from the gate to Cloud Ruler Temple. A Wood Elf with brown hair and the most hideous staff he'd ever seen was standing between the courier and his shipment. She was fending him off with the garish weapon.

"I'm not letting you take it inside until she comes out." The Bosmer replied.

"Methredhel! Leave him alone and go back down the road. I'll…" Lilia called out before ducking under the stone wall as a ball of sparks flew at her. The sparks arranged themselves into a fist, which was currently making an obscene gesture over the headquarters of the Blades. Glancing at Jauffre Martin saw that the Breton had a prominent vein bulging in his forehead; he'd never noticed it before.

"So that's how you use it." The Bosmer murmured before firing it off four more times. Five rude hands now shimmered in the sky. Whoever she was she was certainly in a bad mood.

"Godsdamn it Methredhel! Stop that; these are the Blades. They'll kill you if you keep threatening them." Lilia risked putting her head back up to look at the angry mer.

"I'm not threatening them. It's you that I'm after. I bet you didn't even send a letter this time, did you?" She fired the staff again; a sparkling mound of manure now danced between the obscene fists. Jauffre looked murderous at the sight. Martin couldn't help snickering; he doubted that such a thing had ever occurred before over the ancient temple.

"Give me that." Lilia snatched the staff from the mer with magic; Methredhel resorted to making rude gestures up at the steward with her own fists. Martin laughed at the spectacle and Lilia gave him a wink as she handed him the staff. Obviously this mer was no real threat. "I'm coming down. Behave or I'll paralyze you."

Methredhel crossed her arms and waited grumpily. To Martin's complete astonishment when Lilia walked out through the gate the mer ran towards her and gave her a bodily hug before letting her go and kicking her in the shin. Hard.

"Ow!" Lilia sent a wave of restoration magic into her leg; she was still dressed in her stained green robe.

"Sheep! That's so cute. Where did you get that?" The mer appeared distracted by the accidentally decorated gown. She then smacked Lilia on the arm. "Imperial City, right? You don't even bother coming to visit me; were you too busy shopping?"

"I'm sorry. Let's talk about it somewhere else." As Lilia attempted to soothe the Wood Elf the mer once again grabbed the vampire in a big hug.

"You're alive!" She exclaimed. Martin wasn't the only one laughing now; several of the Blades were chuckling and Baurus was openly guffawing. The Bosmer paid them no heed as she pulled away and kicked Lilia in the shin again. "I should kill you for scaring me like that."

"Ow! Godsdamn it Methredhel; I'm serious about paralyzing you if you don't start behaving." As Lilia once more healed her leg Methredhel watched with a smug grin on her face. Lilia sighed and looked up to the amused Redguard. "Baurus, would you mind getting these parcels into Martin's room?"

"You'll do no such thing." Jauffre stopped the Blade as he made his way to the stairs. "I must insist that they be inspected first."

"Fine. Baurus, come see if I'm trying to smuggle any deadly snakes into his room." Lilia called up to them; she'd heard the Grandmaster's words. Methredhel was standing calmly now and looking up at the group of Akaviri armoured soldiers peering down at her.

Jauffre insisted that Martin remain on the wall as he went down to observe the proceedings. Lilia's shipment certainly didn't include anything sinister. The deadliest of the lot were the several quivers full of ebony arrows; Martin knew that she'd given away most of hers to the soldiers in Kvatch. The rest of her order was a dozen silk robes, a box of tea, a large assortment of sweetrolls and breads, various preserved food products, and two bags of oranges. It was a very unusual collection of items; it seemed remarkably mundane for the strange vampire.

"Oranges from the Summerset Isles? Why haven't you been feeding me oranges? You've made my ass so fat with your sweetrolls that I've had to buy new pants." Methredhel smacked Lilia's arm as she protested at sight of the produce.

"Blame Armand. It was his idea; he said you needed some more meat on your scrawny bones. I think he was just trying to make you softer so you couldn't hit quite so hard." Lilia stuck her tongue out at the mer. "Baurus, can you make sure that it all goes into his room unmolested? I should go with Methredhel back to Bruma."

"No problem." Baurus replied.

"Bruma? Why Bruma? Why can't you show me around?" Methredhel asked while staring at the large gates.

"It's not my place to invite you in." Lilia answered.

"Is it mine?" Martin called down to her. She gave him a dirty look as she nodded up at him. "Good. Methredhel, would you like to come in?"

"I'd be delighted." The mer waved up happily at him and made her way to the gates. Lilia quickly caught up with her and whispered furiously in the Wood Elf's ear as she guided her up the stairs. She brought the mer to stand in front of Martin.

"Methredhel, this is Martin. Martin, I'd like you to meet my friend Methredhel." She made the introductions and he noticed that Lilia said nothing about his being the Emperor. He appreciated that. "Good. Now that you've seen the place let's get you to Bruma."

"Wait. Methredhel, would you like to join me for tea?" Martin didn't want the mer to leave so soon. It was rather delightful to watch his somewhat bossy steward interact with the spunky Wood Elf. His dark mood had lightened dramatically.

"Only if you're serving oranges. I'm sick of sweetrolls." Methredhel answered.

"That's fine. I'd like some oranges myself." He still remembered how good they'd tasted.

"They're your oranges; everything was ordered on your behalf. Speaking of which I'll have to get Jauffre to arrange payment for you." Lilia said with a grin. "But I'm having sweetrolls even if nobody else will."

"How did you meet her?" Martin asked Methredhel. She was seated across from him in the great hall. Jauffre sat at a table in the corner; while he had a pile of parchment in front of him he didn't seem to be paying the work much attention. The Grandmaster was watching the mer. Lilia and Baurus hadn't yet returned from arranging the items in his room. Lilia obviously trusted Methredhel; she wouldn't have left him alone with her otherwise.

"She's my neighbour. She's got a home on the waterfront; you should see the state of her porch roof. I think she's holding it up with magic." The mer mimed a crazy angle with her hands.

"It's not being held up with magic. It's just stubborn." Lilia said as she came in bearing a tray filled with oranges, sweetrolls, and a teapot. Baurus followed along behind her with the rest of the crockery. Lilia took a seat beside Methredhel as she began pouring out the tea. It smelt very good.

"Why did I order tea and oranges?" Martin asked her. He was still amused that she'd said she'd ordered it all on his behalf.

"The oranges and preserved food were for you. The rest was for me; you don't have any money to pay me so you're paying me with tea, sweetrolls, and arrows instead." Lilia answered lightly.

"And the robes?"

"I doubted that you'd want me wandering around without clothes. I've already lost three outfits in your service."

"Service? You have a job?" Methredhel was clearly confused by the exchange.

"She's my steward." Martin offered.

"It's a long story, we'll discuss it later. First you'd better explain just how you found me." Lilia gave the mer a pointed look as she bit into a sweetroll. Martin noticed how her body seemed to melt with delight as she savoured the pastry. Curious he tried one for himself; it was far better than the one she'd fed him in the forest. It was fresh and just seemed to dissolve in his mouth.

"Mmm, these are good oranges. I can't believe you held out on me." Methredhel swatted playfully at Lilia who managed to dodge out of the way. "It wasn't difficult to find you. Armand stopped at Thoronir's yesterday to pick up some sweetrolls; since you disappeared again he's starting buying them for me. Thoronir mentioned that he was just about to send you your order, and since Armand knew I was looking for you he asked where it was being sent. Neither of us knew where Cloud Ruler Temple was but I did know who the courier would be so I traveled with him up here. Grumpy Dark Elf, didn't seem to enjoy my company much."

"I can't imagine why not." Lilia teased gently. Martin reached for another sweetroll and wasn't pleased to feel it fly out of his hand. Lilia gave him another one of her impish grins. "Oranges for you, Priest of Akatosh."

"You're working for a Priest? He doesn't seem deaf to me; hasn't he heard you talk?" Methredhel asked as she dodged out of the way of Lilia's playful swat.

"Very funny. Now I'd like to hear just how you ended up carrying around my staff."

"I took it from your house, of course. Armand helped me clean up the mess; what happened in there?" Methredhel's voice had gone very quiet as she asked.

"I'm so sorry Methredhel. It was an experimental potion that went wrong. I hope you can forgive me." Lilia's voice was even quieter as she answered. Jauffre was craning his head trying to overhear; Martin doubted the Grandmaster could catch what was being said.

"It's okay. How's your head?" The mer gave Lilia a smile as she asked.

"Fine, thanks. Are you going to tell me why you were in my house when I wasn't around?" Lilia was smiling again.

"I go in there all the time. How do you think a sweetroll ended up in your teapot in the first place?" Methredhel was grinning wickedly as she asked.

"You little imp! I'm not going to forget this." Lilia tried to sound threatening as she pointed at the mer. She failed miserably, she was laughing too hard to look intimidating. Martin took the opportunity to sneak another sweetroll; he liked them even better than the oranges.


	81. Chapter 81: Unlikely Heroes

"She's a thief. You can't permit this nonsense to continue. You must send her away." Jauffre spoke calmly as he sat across from Martin on the blue sofa. Baurus stood guard by the door.

"How do you know this?" Martin asked.

"She lives on the waterfront surrounded by thieves. She was the one who informed the watch where to find the stolen bust of Llathasa; how else could she have known about it? I read the report myself. I'm sorry Martin. She's lied to you." Jauffre gave him a kind smile. Martin sighed; while she'd been open with him Lilia hadn't volunteered a single thing about herself without some sort of prompt. He'd never thought to ask her if she was a member of the Thieves Guild.

His steward opened the door and noticed the strange looks the men were giving her. Lilia had returned from escorting Methredhel out of the Temple. According to Jauffre the mer was a notorious member of the guild. The evidence was circumstantial but more than enough to make him wonder.

"Is this about the bill? I assure you, it's all essential." Lilia asked as she moved forward to stand by the sofas.

"This has nothing to do with your abuse of power. This has everything to do with your membership in the Thieves Guild." Jauffre replied. Martin still couldn't understand why the Grandmaster and the vampire got along so poorly. They were both dedicated to keeping him alive; they had at least that much in common.

"My what?" Lilia asked as she blinked a bit too rapidly.

"You've brought a thief into Cloud Ruler Temple. Do you deny your involvement with the Guild?" Jauffre asked insistently.

"Does it matter if I'm a member or not? I've never been arrested for anything; there have been no accusations of any crime levelled against me. I'm rather surprised you'd have such a puritanical attitude about it. The Blades are very good at ahzirr traajijazeri after all."

"Ajir what?" Martin didn't understand; she'd spoken in Ta'agra, the language of the Khajiits.

"We justly take by force. That's the translation." Baurus explained.

"Please don't think that your noble Blades are above bending, or breaking, the laws of the land in defence of the Empire. I'm rather offended that the Grandmaster of a group of highly trained spies and killers tries to accuse me of being immoral because of where I live and who I know." Lilia's voice was bitter and she sneered at Jauffre as she spoke.

"Do not quote terrorists in your defence. You have not denied the charges."

"Nor will I confirm them. Think of me what you will Jauffre but I am not going to be removed so easily." Lilia stood in a defiant posture as she talked down to the seated Breton.

"Martin, the decision is yours." Jauffre looked tired as he spoke. The man had been very kind to him and had offered a lot of wise counsel. But Martin couldn't send the vampire away; at least, not without talking to her first.

"She stays." Lilia smiled at Martin and Jauffre sighed heavily before standing up. He and Baurus made their polite excuses and left the room. The now familiar feeling of silence magic coated the walls.

"Well? Are you a member of the Thieves Guild?" Martin asked as Lilia sat down across from him; she made sure not to sit on the same cushion as Jauffre had.

"Yes. I've been one for almost a year now. But I don't steal things, not unless there is a very good reason. And anything I have taken has been given back. Are you going to dismiss me now?"

"No. Is there anything else I should know?" He asked. From what he knew of her he believed that she wasn't a thief in the way Jauffre had implied. To his surprise he saw Lilia frown deeply at the fireplace.

"Perhaps you should. But first I have some questions for you. You are a Priest, maybe you'll know better than I do." She was staring at him now, clearly curious.

"I'll try to answer your questions."

"When you kill someone in self defence that doesn't count as murder, does it? Not in the legal sense, but in terms of one's soul. It doesn't damn a person, right?"

"That's right." He wondered why she was asking this.

"And those who work as executioners for the nobles. They aren't damned when they kill murderers, correct?"

"As far as I know, no. They aren't damned by the Divines for their actions." Martin was now a bit concerned by her questions.

"And that's not because of the laws. It isn't the legal principles of mortals that protect their souls, is it?"

"No. The Aedra aren't influenced by such things." He really didn't know where she was going with this.

"Have you ever heard of the Dark Brotherhood?" She suddenly asked. "Or the Night Mother?"

"Of course." The rumours of the shadowy group of assassins were well known throughout Tamriel. Though the ones about the Night Mother were rather vague; she was said to be everything from a beautiful young woman to a hideous old crone to some sort of spirit. He was feeling a bit nervous now about the direction the conversation was taking.

"You can never repeat what I'm about to tell you. There are no witnesses or proof other than my words. I'm sure you won't believe any of it and I'm not asking you to. But I want you to know. I'm going to trust you Martin. Please don't betray me." The agonized look she gave him made him want to grab her hands and try to comfort her. She was clearly distressed by what she was about to say.

"Do you remember I mentioned that I made a deal with the Divines?" He nodded; occasionally he'd wondered what she'd asked for in return.

"My parents were murdered sixteen years ago by a Dark Brotherhood assassin. Poisoned as they ate dinner. I saw the man who'd done it and recognized the armour; my father had taught me how to identify it. When I found their bodies I lost myself to grief; my whole world had been destroyed. They'd done nothing to deserve such a fate." Lilia paused; she'd closed her eyes and seemed to be trying to keep herself under control. Martin didn't dare interrupt; she seemed so fragile right now. It was a far cry from the woman who'd sworn in the Chapel of Akatosh or just stared down the Grandmaster of the Blades.

"I offered them my life to use as they wished so long as I had an opportunity to cripple the Dark Brotherhood. They accepted my offer. I then began to receive guidance from them in the form of invisible pressure. Sometimes it feels like a soft hand on my back, and sometimes it comes as violent shoves. I spent fifteen years wandering the lands of Tamriel training as the Gods wished. It was lonely but I didn't really mind. Quite honestly I never truly believed that I'd survive this long.

Last year I was guided to the Imperial City. At the time I thought I'd find the Dark Brotherhood there; now I'm fairly sure it had been so that I could watch the Emperor be murdered in front of my eyes. I joined the Thieves Guild thinking I could find out more information about the location of the assassins. It was on a job for the guild that I finally found them."

"You went looking for the Dark Brotherhood? Are you trying to say you fought them?" Her tale was very hard to believe. To his surprise she laughed bitterly at the question.

"Oh no. I didn't go looking for them for that purpose. I had to join them first." As she replied he noticed that she was watching him, gauging his reaction. He didn't know how to respond; she was obviously delusional.

"You don't believe me. Fine. Then you won't believe me when I tell you that I worked my way up the ranks before a traitor within the Brotherhood turned me against the leaders. And I'm sure you won't believe me when I tell you that they all ended up dead, but not all by my hand. The traitor turned out to be none other than the assassin who'd murdered my parents. And you certainly won't believe me when I tell you that I met the Night Mother, the spirit chained to Sithis who acted as the focal point for the Brotherhood's activities, and that Stendarr worked through me to destroy her." Her tone was clearly challenging as she rapidly spoke.

"You were an assassin? You say you murdered people?" He tried to keep his voice calm as he asked. He didn't want to upset her by letting her know how little he believed her. She clearly was convinced of the truth of her fanciful tales.

"Ah, but you don't understand. I didn't just murder people; I killed them in the service of the Nine. How does that fit in with your concepts of your loving Gods?" She was hissing at him now; she was already upset.

"You're mad." He whispered.

"Oh yes. I'm completely mad, I'm glad you've noticed that. But I'm lucid right now. I'm not going to waste any more time trying to convince you; I don't have any to waste. It's enough for me that I've told you." Lilia suddenly seemed somewhat cheerful again. Her rapid changes in mood were rather disconcerting.

"You're mad?" Martin asked. "What do you mean by not having any time to waste?"

"I'm going mad. I'm not entirely there yet. But I'll probably be very soon, which is why I'm not going to sit around and try to make you believe me." Lilia now looked rather sad.

"You're starting to worry me. What's wrong?" Martin was not happy about how she was behaving.

"Oh, so long as I know who I am don't worry about me. I wouldn't ever harm you. But if I ever hit a point where I don't recognize you I'd suggest you hit me with the strongest magical fire you can conjure and flee. Please don't hesitate if that should happen; I'd actually be rather grateful if you did." She gave him a bitter smile as she spoke quietly. He couldn't believe that she'd essentially just asked him to kill her should she lose her mind. This was a very disturbing conversation for him.

She stood suddenly and frowned; it was as if she was looking at everything and yet nothing at once. "Something's wrong." Her voice was clear and steady as she pronounced her warning to the floor.

The door flew open with Lilia's magic before Baurus could even reach the handle. The Redguard ran into the room, clearly upset.

"An Oblivion gate has just opened in front of Bruma." The Blade quickly announced. Martin felt his stomach knot; this was far more disturbing than Lilia's insistence that she was some sort of mad murderer.

* * *

She was running as fast as she could down the rocky path towards the city. The sky had taken on the same red glow she'd seen at Kvatch. The fiery portal could be easily seen from her vantage point and she felt that same unpleasant sensation she'd felt from the last one. They were so unnatural, a violation of all the guiding principles of the world of Nirn, that she could feel it inside of her. She didn't need to use her Psijic training to sense that another gate to Oblivion had opened.

Straining her ears she listened for the cries of battle as she ran around the outer walls of Bruma. When she finally stepped into sight of the sloping ground in front of the gate she halted in shock. This was a scene she'd never imagined.

"Aim for the nostrils! Get that daedroth bastard!" Ilend Vonius was shouting to the guards. The men were aiming at an upside down daedroth that was magically suspended in the air by a very grim faced Carius Runellius. The bodies of scamps littered the ground in front of the gate and Lilia noted the placement of the arrows in their stomachs. None of the men even appeared to be injured.

"By the Nine, it's you! It's the Hero of Kvatch!" Ilend was moving quickly towards her; the daedroth's dead body lay on top of some now rather crushed dead scamps. The guard gave Lilia a hearty handshake as she tried to make sense of what was happening.

"What are you doing here?" She asked quickly. Carius was coming over; he looked far less grim now.

"Captain Matius reassigned us all to the various towns in Cyrodiil. In case something like this happened he wanted the guards to be prepared."

"It's a good thing he did. Thanks to his foresight we were ready." Carius added. Lilia gave him a big hug; she was so glad to find the guard still alive. She'd been convinced that they'd all be dead, just like Kvatch. "You're the Hero of Kvatch? I should have known it was you. There's nobody else strange enough to go running into an Oblivion gate."

"Carius Runellius of the City Watch as much as I'm glad that you've survived if you try to call me that I will become very angry indeed." The last thing she wanted was for the Imperial to start calling her the Hero of Kvatch. It had been hard enough to discourage him from referring to her as Tiger Lily all the time; he'd been rather amused by it.

"You call me Carius and I'll call you Lilia. So are you going to show us how to close this thing? We're ready when you are." He pointed towards the fiery portal and Lilia frowned. She couldn't take the guards in there; they'd die.

"I can close it, but I can't teach you how. I'm sorry Carius but you don't have enough magical skill yet to come with me."

"Are you sure? I've been practicing." He was clearly disappointed.

"I wish you did. If I thought you could I'd gladly teach you how to close it; I'd been hoping that such a thing wouldn't be necessary though. But you aren't skilled enough with illusion magic to…" Lilia trailed off. While the guard couldn't do it she did know two people who could. With Martin up at Cloud Ruler Temple she had a suspicion that the opening of the gate at Bruma had not been a coincidence. It would probably be a good idea to have others who could close a gate without her around; she might not be able to get to them in time if this happened again. "I'll come right back. Make sure you don't lose any men while I'm gone."

As Lilia ran off she wondered just how the gates could exist in the first place. While gates to the planes of Oblivion could be opened they were normally only strong enough to permit one daedra at a time into the world of Nirn. Portals that allowed hosts of daedra to emerge and then remained for hours were something that she'd never heard of. Something was wrong with the plane of Mundus if such things could occur. Reaching her destination she pushed open the doors and stepped inside.

"You! It's all your fault. How could you do this to me? I wrote you such a good recommendation." Jeanne Frasoric was stumbling towards Lilia as she stood in the centre of the Mages Guild. The Breton was clearly drunk. Raminus must have already visited the Guild Hall; they'd both agreed to demote Jeanne back to a level more appropriate to her magical skills. "Apprentice! How could you make me an Apprentice!"

Lilia sent the original version of a silence spell into the Breton and Jeanne continued trying to tirade but no sound escaped from her. She didn't have time for this nonsense.

"I should have thought of that hours ago. Thank you Master Wizard." Selena Orania, the new guildmaster of the Bruma guild hall, said brightly to Lilia.

"J'Skar! Volanaro! I need to talk to you!" Lilia had nodded at Selena and was now shouting as she ran down the stairs to the living quarters of the guild. The two purple figures, who were hunched suspiciously over something in the alchemy room, quickly straightened up and walked towards the hallway.

"Master Wizard. I thought I recognized your dulcet tones. Do I have you to thank for the new management?" Volanaro asked. The High Elf had been very bitter that Jeanne had been the leader of the guild hall, which was part of the reason he'd tormented her endlessly with practical jokes.

"I need your help. Can you cast telekinesis while invisible?" She asked them.

"Have you forgotten? I can do everything while invisible. Even sleep." J'Skar answered proudly. Lilia hadn't forgotten; the Khajiit's illusion magic skills were very impressive. She certainly couldn't maintain such a spell while sleeping.

"And who taught you how to do that, you mangy furball?" Volanaro looked down at the grinning Khajiit.

"Good. Come with me; you're about to become heroes."

* * *

Her strongly enchanted glass boots comforted her greatly as she stood in Oblivion. Lilia had taken the time to put on her armour; the fiery plane was no place for an unprotected vampire. Two purple figures wavered behind her.

"Where are all the daedra?" Volanaro whispered to her.

"The first wave has already been dealt with on Nirn; you saw the bodies. But there will be a bunch patrolling further ahead." She answered. Lilia looked toward the tall tower that held the sigil stone on the hill ahead of them. The black building looked as though it had grown out of the dark rock below it; it's form stood out starkly against the clouded red sky. She could see various daedra wandering the path in front of her. "Come on and keep quiet. Remember, daedroths can smell you."

They moved silently forward along the winding pathway. The pools of bubbling lava beside it made Lilia very nervous. As it was she could feel the heat despite the resistances her enchanted armour provided.

"That bastard's in the way." Volanaro whispered.

"Not for long." J'Skar replied. Lilia watched as the dremora warrior on the path ahead of them was suddenly tossed into the pool of lava, melting almost instantly.

"Ooh, I wonder if you can skip them on the lava like rocks on water." Volanaro said. Lilia rolled her eyes, they didn't seem to be taking this very seriously.

"Let's find out." J'Skar was moving forward and Lilia hurried after him. They could see each other with their detect life spells as they moved invisibly through the plane.

"Hey! No fair. That one should have been mine." Volanaro was protesting as J'Skar tossed a scamp in a quick low arc into the lava with his telekinesis spell. The scamp didn't bounce.

"Too slow old mer." J'Skar teased back.

"Will you two be quiet? Come on; there are plenty of daedra for you both." Lilia hissed at them before striding forward along the path. The two mages took turns trying to skip the various scamps, daedroths, and dremora on the molten rock. Finding that the daedra tended to stick to the lava they instead were having competitions to see just how far they could fling them. The vampire was not amused at their antics.

"Is there any lava in there?" J'Skar asked as they stood at the base of the tower. They'd run out of daedra to toss about.

"No. But you see that beam of light shooting up out of the top? It will vaporize anything that touches it, so try not to get too close." She answered before standing in front of the door. It slid open and she stepped through. A dremora archer was patrolling the dark circular entrance hall. Two doors were set into the wall on either side of the blinding spire of light. To her surprise the dremora flew up into the energy and dissolved instantly.

"Oh, that's neat. Let's go find some more." Volanaro's voice came from behind her. Lilia sighed; it had been bad enough when she'd simply snuck invisibly past the daedra in the Kvatch gate, occasionally shoving one out of the way with telekinesis magic, to claim the sigil stone that kept the mini-plane of Oblivion stable. Being hailed as the Hero of Kvatch for that accomplishment had been rather difficult and she'd tried not to spoil the illusions of the distraught soldiers and citizens of Kvatch by revealing just how simple it had been.

So she felt rather uncomfortable as she moved up through the spiralling tower and listened to J'Skar and Volanaro laugh and joke as they destroyed the daedra that infested it. When they moved through the corridors they'd float the daedra around and use them like battering rams to knock down any others they encountered. Much to their amusement the confused scamps and daedroths would normally turn on each other, completely unaware that the mages were behind the physical attacks. When they moved up the curving pathways that lined the inner core of the tower they'd take turns trying to see how many times they could get a daedra to spin or flip as it fell into the destructive beam of energy.

"You missed! Look at that; his arm's falling down." J'Skar whispered. The rest of the dremora had passed through the vaporizing pillar of light.

"I'll fix that." Volanaro magically pushed the arm in to follow the rest of the body.

"Watch this. Backwards somersault with a twist." The scamp suddenly flew off the path in front of them and gracefully rotated through the air before dissolving.

"Well done. Hmm, we seem to have run out of daedra. And is that skin?" Volanaro didn't seem very pleased with the ceiling above them. Lilia sighed.

"Will you two just be quiet and follow me? We're at the top; this is the part where they keep the sigil stone." She hissed back at them as she opened the door. The floor of the sigil keep did look remarkably like skin; it was something that Lilia tried hard not to notice. Especially since it felt like she was walking over stretched leather. She began magically tossing the few daedra in the room into the magical beam, not wanting Volanaro and J'Skar to come up with some new form of amusement.

"How does taking the stone make the gate close anyway?" Volanaro asked as she stood in front of the glowing red orb on the upper level.

"This isn't Mehrunes Dagon's plane. It's a sort of mini-plane; all Daedric Princes can create them. Even Jagar Tharn was able to create one with the Staff of Chaos and then imprison Emperor Uriel in it. Daedra and mortals can both meet on this plane without violating the rules of Aetherius. But normally gates from planes like this to Nirn are never so powerful; I don't know why these are different. As for the sigil stone it acts as the focal point; by removing it we destabilize this place causing it to implode under its own magic. The portal closes at the same time."

"But how do we get back?" J'Skar didn't sound very happy about this part of the plan.

"Just hold on tight to me. I'll grab it and we'll be deposited back on Nirn according to the rules of Aetherius. I've done it before; just make sure you keep your mouth shut when we go." Lilia waited until she felt the invisible Altmer and Khajiit grab hold of her.

"Lilia, I didn't know you felt that way about me. Cheeky woman." Volanaro's voice came from above her and she was very confused.

"What?"

"I assume you're the one grabbing my ass so nicely." The mer replied.

"My hands are free so I can grab the stone." Lilia waved her arms in front of her.

"Oh, was that you? No wonder it felt so flabby." J'Skar's voice held a very false note of innocence. He was chuckling at the indignant Atlmer.

"You filthy fleabag. I'll…"

Lilia didn't wait for the mer to finish threatening J'Skar. She grabbed the sigil stone from its resting place and felt the plane dissolve around her into ashes. She'd warned them to keep silent; perhaps a mouthful of ash would teach them to be quiet for once.


	82. Chapter 82: Black Magic

The papered walls felt more like a prison than a fortress. It had happened again; daedra had once more invaded Nirn. More people were going to die because of him and there wasn't anything he could do about it.

Lilia had run off at Baurus' words after an order for the Redguard to protect Martin with his life and a quick farewell. She always told him she'd be right back just before she left him but Martin didn't think she would be this time. It hardly seemed likely that she'd be able to close a second gate; the first one had been a remarkable accomplishment in itself.

Baurus was standing in front of the locked door and though he was there to protect the heir to the Imperial Throne Martin felt as though the Redguard was more of a jailor than a bodyguard. He was restless, he was angry, and he was very upset at the whole situation. Surely there had to be something he could do to help. But Lilia and his Blades wouldn't ever consider the possibility of putting him in danger; he remembered how bitterly she'd lamented his desire to come with her and the Kvatch guards to clear out the castle. Considering her paranoia he was surprised she hadn't actually strung him up from the rafters of the Chapel instead. She probably hadn't wanted to leave him out of her sight.

Though Jauffre had seemed completely confident and in control of the situation when he'd met with Martin he hadn't seen that same look in the eyes of Jena or Ferrum. The young Blades had appeared nervous, but the way in which they'd tried to comfort him with their talk of how they'd gladly give their lives in his defence had been more painful than soothing to hear. These young men and women of his Blades were ready to die for him and he didn't know anything about them, other than perhaps their names. It made him feel incredibly guilty, and the guilt led to anger and frustration. He'd never asked to be put into this position.

While he'd once dreamt of power he'd never in his wildest fantasies thought about being the Emperor of Tamriel. He'd instead sought out mystical powers, wanting to be one of the most accomplished mages on Nirn. His impatience and arrogance had led him to make some very poor choices along the way. Martin worried that now that he was being placed into a position of authority where people could die because of his choices that he would fall victim to the same ambitions and power hungry desires.

He shook his head and resumed his pacing around the room. Baurus didn't seem to be paying him much attention; instead the Redguard was listening and preparing for the inevitable attack. The waiting was tortuous. Martin sighed and stopped walking in circles, he stood still in the middle of the room and stared at the fire burning brightly in the fireplace. The cheery domestic comfort seemed horribly out of place.

He watched the flames flicker and dance, weaving to their own unheard melody, heedless of the destruction and pain that they could cause. There had been fire that night in Kvatch; normal fire that had burnt away the heart of the city reducing it to ruins filled only with painful memories. There had also been those fiery portals; he'd seen them as he'd tried to herd people into the protection of the chapel. The strange shimmering daedric fire had been fascinating and terrifying, so unlike the fire that filled his vision.

Fire. All he could see was fire; strange blue fire of a daedric portal. The hissing and crackling of the burning logs had faded from his ears; Martin could hear nothing, see nothing except this shimmering magic portal. His magical portal.

"Are you okay?" Baurus asked, his voice filled with concern. The Redguard had his hand on Martin's shoulder and he nodded at the Blade. He was more than okay. He now understood just what he could do to help not just the citizens of Bruma but all of those who lived in Tamriel itself.

* * *

The knock interrupted his concentration. He heard a familiar voice call through the door.

"I'm back. Please don't toss any spells at me; I promise I'm not a dremora." The thick metal muffled Lilia's voice. Martin nodded to Baurus, indicating that the Blade should open the door and let her in.

"Lilia! What happened to you?" Baurus greeted the grey woman. She was once more covered in ash. They'd received word of the gate's closure a while ago and had both been waiting for her return. According to Fortis she'd taken two mages guild members in with her. Apparently the Khajiit and the Altmer had both been rather grumpy by the time they'd re-emerged; the Blade had reported that they'd both said some very choice words to the laughing Master Wizard. Fortis had run straight back to Cloud Ruler Temple; Lilia had taken her time to come back.

"I decided to take a stroll through Oblivion. Rather nice this time of year." She shook her head at the question. "Martin, do you mind if I use your bathtub again?"

"Go right ahead." He pointed with his quill and watched her walk across the room. A trail of loose ash fell to the carpet as she moved. He suspected Jauffre wouldn't be pleased at that, but it didn't bother Martin. From the reports he'd heard nobody had died in the attack. It seemed rather miraculous and he offered a quick prayer of thanks to the Divines before turning his attention back to the book.

It wasn't until the quill poked into the back of his neck that he realized that Baurus was no longer in the room and Lilia had re-emerged denuded of ash and dressed in one of her new robes.

"Dead again Emperorling. What are you working on?" She asked as she peered over his shoulder before hissing and whirling away. Martin put down his quill and turned around to look at her.

"What are you doing with that evil book?" Lilia was standing halfway across the room and didn't look very happy about his reading of the Mysterium Xarxes. Perhaps she took his warning a bit too literally.

"Research. Mankar Camoran bound himself to this book creating his Paradise as a result. I think there is a way that a portal to it can be opened up allowing us an opportunity to retrieve the amulet. There are four items that I'll need for the ritual but I haven't deciphered any of them. You wouldn't happen to be able to read daedric runes, would you? I could use some help with this." As he answered he saw Lilia shaking her head.

"I can read it but I can't help you. The magic in that book affects me in a very bad way. Please don't let me get too close to it, or any copies of the writings of it that you may make." She replied emphatically before giving him a curious look. "How is it that a Priest of Akatosh can understand daedric?"

Martin sighed. He closed the book and made sure his parchments were face down before moving over towards the sofas by the fire. Lilia sat down in her usual spot across from him.

"I wasn't always a priest. In my youth I followed a different path." He answered once he was settled in.

"Daedra worship?" She asked quietly.

"Yes."

"May I ask which Daedric Prince?" Lilia didn't seem to be forming a negative opinion of his past associations; most people reacted with everything from fear to hatred when they dealt with daedra worshippers. She was taking this very calmly.

"Sanguine." He answered softly. It hadn't taken much for him to be seduced by the power that the Daedric Prince of pleasure had offered him. Sanguine was very knowledgeable about seduction after all.

"Not the worst you could have chosen. How long were you involved?"

"Too long. It ended badly. I don't really like to talk about it." Martin still had nightmares about the horribly bad ending to his involvement with the daedric cult.

"I'm sorry. Did you have dinner?" Lilia changed the topic and gave him a friendly smile. She never pushed him to reveal anything he didn't want to and he appreciated it.

"No. The Oblivion gate distracted everyone. Now that you mention it I am rather hungry." He'd been so distracted by the book he hadn't noticed the empty feeling in his stomach. He hadn't had anything since the tea and sweetrolls in the afternoon; the meeting with Methredhel seemed like it had happened days ago. Everything was moving so quickly now.

"Let me get you something." Lilia levitated her pack over to her and began rummaging around. "You've got oranges, sweetrolls, guar jerky, salted whitefish, raisins, some fruit preserves…"

She was pulling out the items from her bag and placing them on the low table as she spoke. Martin was surprised at how much her bag seemed to hold. Thinking about it he realized he was more than just surprised, looking at all of the food on the table he realized that her bag didn't appear large enough to hold even the foodstuffs.

"Lilia, where is your armour?" He asked.

"In my bag, of course." She answered absently while pulling out a jar of pickled kwama eggs.

"And that Legion armour you had? And your chainmail?"

"It's all in my pack. Did you want any dried mutton? It's got a Khajiiti spice blend on it; you really should try it." She was holding out a small open leather bag that contained several strips of dark meat. He took one to placate her and placed it on the table.

"In your pack. Lilia, your pack can't possibly hold all that."

"It's not just any pack. It's the Adventurer's Pack." She answered in the same tone she'd used when she'd told him she needed rings of luck to protect her clothes.

"Yes, you are an adventurer, and yes, that is a pack. I fail to see how that makes any difference." To his surprise she chuckled at his words.

"Not an adventurer's pack, the Adventurer's Pack. Haven't you heard of it? The legendary bag that can hold as much as you can carry regardless of size, the pack that will always let you find whatever item you're looking for easily? Nobody else can open it without permission so long as the owner is alive." She smiled happily as she told him about it.

"I've never heard of it." He shook his head and he recognized the impish smile on her face. She was in another one of her good moods.

"You doubt me too much Priest of Akatosh. Let me show you just what it can do." With that she stood up and walked over to the bed. "Come on. You need to see this." She waved him over and Martin followed her.

To his astonishment she began pulling out her armour and placing it in a pile on the bed. The Legion set came next, then the chainmail ensemble. Strange armour made out of red and white leather and metal followed. She then pulled out her new robes as well as her ruined ones. Several small cloth bags emerged from the pack. As the pile of possessions on the bed began to grow Martin realized that she hadn't been lying about her bag. It was remarkable just what she'd stored in it. The last thing she pulled out was a small black pack that she put on the only free space on the edge of the bed by his pillow. Lilia handed him the empty bag.

"Where did you get this?" He could feel a soft magic to it.

"I'd love to say I got it after fighting off a dragon and a giant mud crab but it was far less impressive. I actually found it on a dead body. I could sense the magic and after a little use of my mysticism skill I'd determined what it was. It was a very lucky find."

"Now how do you get it all back in?" He waved his arm to indicate all of her things that had covered his bed. His hand brushed against the precariously balanced Legion armour and sent it crashing to the ground. "I'll get that." As he reached down to grab the cuirass his shoulder brushed into the edge of the mattress. A poorly stacked assortment of robes slid off the other side of the bed. He could hear Lilia giggling.

"Just jam it back in. That's what I do. But leave the Legion armour out; you could use it before I could. Let's get this other stuff put away again or you'll have to sleep on your own couch." As he helped her put everything back in the pack he felt his foot kick something solid but when he looked down he couldn't see anything on the floor. Martin didn't worry about it and instead handed her the last item on the bed; her leather shorts. It reminded him of how circumspect she'd been during their training session.

"I want to thank you for not asking me about my shoulder this morning." He said as she closed up her pack. His bed was once more empty.

"I knew you were terribly uncomfortable about it so I didn't say anything." She replied as she moved her pack over to an empty space on the wall by a wardrobe.

"How did you know?"

"Vampire." She replied with a grin as she pointed to herself. "I can see how people's bodies react to situations. While I'm not always sure of what I'm seeing it was easy to see how nervous you were about taking off your robe. Though I would have figured it out anyway after you insisted that the door be barricaded so we couldn't be interrupted. You didn't strike me as being that dedicated to training."

"It wasn't because of your own scars that you didn't ask?" He inquired without thinking. To his surprise she shook her head.

"You mean the ones on my back? No, actually I'm rather fond of them now. Just like the mark on my hand. But I know it bothers people so I don't run around showing them off. I take it you're not happy with yours?" Lilia didn't look impish any more; she was now rather serious as she questioned him.

"No." Martin hated the puckered flesh on the back of his upper arm and shoulder. It was a hideous reminder of a very bad time in his life. Lilia was studying him.

"Would you get rid of it if you could?" She asked.

"Absolutely, but it can't be removed with restoration magic. It was caused by daedric fire; there isn't anything that can be done to fix it." He'd tried many things over the years and had eventually come to accept that he'd always be disfigured. While he wasn't happy about it he'd come to think of it as a sort of permanent penance.

"What if there was a way to remove it? Would you do it even if you knew it would hurt?" Lilia asked.

"How much would it hurt?" Martin was starting to get the impression that she was actually offering to help him get rid of his scars. He was very curious as to what she was going to tell him.

"I won't lie; quite a bit actually. But you probably won't pass out from the pain. The only thing is that you can't change your mind halfway through. Either you do it or you don't; there is no stopping in the middle." Lilia was completely serious in her answer and he felt she was being honest with him.

"Where do I need to go to get this done?" He doubted that the Blades would let him leave Cloud Ruler Temple for cosmetic reasons.

"Nowhere. I can do it whenever you want."

"You? You can heal scars?" Perhaps this was another one of her delusions. "Where did you learn how to do that?"

"Orsinium. The Gods pushed me to learn it. Think about it and let me know. The offer stands." She shrugged and started walking back towards her seat by the fire. Martin pondered what she'd said.

"The Divines? They sent you to learn how to do it? And you didn't get your back fixed?" Lilia stopped walking and turned to look at him.

"I told you, I'm actually rather pleased with my scars. And yes, the Nine sent me to Orsinium. They pulled me away from the Psijics for that. I never did understand why but I'm guessing it is because they knew I was going to meet you, I mistakenly thought it was for other reasons." Her face was rather unhappy as she spoke. "I've stopped trying to figure them out; they can take their mysterious ways and shove them right up their…"

"Lilia." Martin cut her off. He'd asked her to stop badmouthing the Gods so much. If they did have some sort of Divine plan for him then he wanted them happy, and having a blaspheming steward probably didn't please them too much. "What do I need to do?"

"Take off your shirt and lie face down on the bed. Are you sure you want to do this? It's not fun and I won't be able to stop." She brought down the hand that had been gesturing as to how and where the Gods could put their ways and pointed at the bed.

"Yes. Let's get it done." He pulled off his linen shirt and mithril cuirass before crawling on to the mattress. Lilia made her way over and joined him.

"Put your arms under your chest. I'm going to pin you down with my legs. I can't paralyze you or use any potions; it would interfere with the magic. I'll work as quickly as I can. Make as much noise as you need to." She paused as she waited for him to get comfortable. It was a bit awkward but he managed. Martin felt her weight as she knelt on top of him; her right leg held down his right shoulder while her left leg was pressed firmly against his low back. She certainly wasn't light.

"Can you breathe okay?" She asked. "Take a couple of deep breaths for me."

He did so and she seemed satisfied. He realized that he was truly pinned into position. Between the soft mattress and her weight he couldn't easily extricate himself from under her. Her cold hands touched his scarred flesh.

"Are you ready?"

"Yes."

She didn't say anything else to him. Martin felt a very strange sensation in his upper arm and shoulder; it was as if tiny bugs were crawling around on top of him. The almost ticklish sensation shifted; it now felt as if the tiny bugs were burrowing into his skin. He bit his lip as the feeling changed once more. It now felt as though the little insects were moving around underneath his flesh, rippling the skin as they went. It didn't feel very good.

He tried to focus on his breathing; the magic had changed once more. The bugs were becoming warmer and warmer. It felt as though they were about to burst into flame under his scars. It was really starting to hurt.

By the time he felt as though his flesh was literally bubbling like molten lava he was drenched in sweat. He wasn't sure if it had physically hurt him this much to receive the scars in the first place. Martin was starting to regret his choice; if he thought it would do any good he'd ask her to stop. His upper arm and shoulder were in agony.

Suddenly he felt cool waves of restoration magic soothing away the pain. Her cold hands were a welcome touch and he simply lay still and breathed slowly as she stroked the skin, letting the healing magic flow from her fingers. He realized that he was exhausted.

"You did really good. You're even braver than I thought." Lilia whispered softly to him as she eased off of him. Her hands were now moving over his back where she'd been pressing down on him. The soreness her weight had caused hadn't even registered; the sensation in his shoulder and upper arm had been too intense to permit such trivial pain from making an impression. She tugged his arms out from under him and she gently caressed them as she magically soothed away the pins and needles.

The last thing he felt before he fell asleep was her cold and tender touch.


	83. Chapter 83: Correspondence

She realized she was staring at him again. Her heart both sang and ached at the sight of his sleeping form. She'd left the curtains tied back and she resisted the urge to crawl into the bed next to him and wrap him in her arms, to breathe in his scent and listen to his heartbeat.

Love. Lilia had never been in love before but she was starting to worry that's how she felt about Martin. When she was with him she felt a lightness and contendness she'd never before experienced. She wanted so much to make him happy, to soothe his fears and ease his pains, to spend her time with him. She wanted to spend the rest of her life with him.

It was madness, she was sure of that. She'd only known him for such a short amount of time. Surely it was an infatuation, merely a result of her having gone so long without meaningful physical contact. Lilia tried to convince herself that it was simply lust and nothing more.

Except she'd had her share of lovers before, men she'd shared her nights with, but she'd never felt this way about any of them. Some she'd chosen merely to satisfy her physical needs, to help stave off the loneliness of her rootless existence. Others had been friends, providing her with a comforting companionship while the affairs had lasted. The most she'd ever cared for any of them had been her feelings for Vicente, but when he'd told her that he loved her she'd realized that she certainly did not feel the same way for him. While it still hurt to think about him Lilia found the pain less intense, more of an ache inside then a sharp stab through the heart. Though her guilt at failing him hadn't lessened with the passage of time. She still prayed for his soul every day; it was the only communication she had with the Gods. She'd long stopped talking to them about anything else.

But it also hurt her to be around Martin. He had no idea how she felt about him and it pained her to know that she couldn't ever hope to have him feel the same way about her. She wouldn't let him; she couldn't. For the Empire's sake, for his sake, she needed to make sure that he never suspected a thing. The way his body had reacted to her, even when she'd had been so close to him, had told her that he had no interest in her at all. It was probably for the best, but she wasn't able to use rationality to tame the hurt of the knowledge away.

Martin shifted position and she quickly looked away afraid that he'd wake up, see her gaze, and somehow know. Lilia picked up the small stack of parchment she'd removed from her pack. She smiled at the remembrance; he'd been so curious about it she'd emptied it all for him. It was ridiculous, this desire she felt to tell him everything, to share every single one of her secrets with him. Lilia wanted him to know everything there was to know about her; she suspected it was the hope she kept hidden that somehow he'd accept her despite her many flaws. While he hadn't necessarily believed much of what she'd told him she was content that he at least knew.

Opening up the first note she sighed softly. None of it mattered really; she'd surely be mad soon. At least then she'd be able to stop worrying about everything. As she read the note from Raminus her mind shifted gears; Lilia couldn't let herself get distracted by her emotions. There was still the fact that the Amulet of Kings needed to be recovered and the fact that Oblivion gates could open anywhere at any time to deal with.

Methredhel had brought up her mail as well as her staff. She'd been incredibly touched that the mer had taken the trouble to track her down even though she knew it had infuriated Jauffre. She didn't care what he thought though; his Blades had been doing a very poor job of keeping anything secret. After she'd closed the Oblivion gate she'd been shocked when J'Skar and Volanaro had stopped spitting and cursing her and each other to have them ask when they'd get to see the Emperor, since they were now heroes. Lilia knew she'd told no one outside of the Blades about Martin's existence and had been very concerned to find that it was now common knowledge in Bruma. Not only did the rumours mention him but they also put him at Cloud Ruler Temple.

Lilia had gone back to the guild hall with the two; they'd certainly not been bashful in proclaiming their role in the closing of the gate to the grateful guards and citizens. Lilia had let them claim as much credit as they wanted; if another gate opened up she'd be counting on them to close it on their own. As much as they enjoyed joking around she trusted that the two of them understood the responsibility she'd shared with them. Jeanne still hadn't managed to dispel the silence spell when they'd returned and Lilia hadn't bothered doing it for her. She'd been too busy composing a note to the Arcane University. Seeing no further need for secrecy she'd informed Raminus about the gates, what she'd learnt of them, how to close them, and the fact that there was an heir to the Imperial throne and she was going to be too busy working for him to attend to guild business. She'd sent it off magically and had then returned to Cloud Ruler Temple despite Carius' and Ilend's requests that she join them for a celebratory drink. As much as she trusted Baurus to watch over Martin for her she really hated leaving him alone.

Raminus' note was old news, written before he'd left the Imperial City to tour the guild halls. Lilia tossed it into the fire. The next note was from Fathis; he'd invited her for tea and congratulated her on her promotion in the Fighter's Guild. Janus' short letter was beneath it; he'd requested the pleasure of her company in the most formal of tones. He seemed to derive some source of amusement from interacting with her in the politest of fashions. Lilia didn't mind; her manners had grown rather rusty and she could use the practice. She burnt both of them.

Lilia didn't recognize the handwriting on the next note. Opening it up she had to stifle her laughter; she didn't want to wake Martin. She'd never expected to receive something like this.

_For someone so disrespectful you are also rather knowledgeable. Thank you._

_You are also rather misinformed. My parents were Colovian and I've never touched mud crabs in an inappropriate fashion. You'd do well to remember that._

She'd heard the gossip in Bruma; the Count of Anvil had re-appeared just as mysteriously as he'd disappeared. Rumour was split over how his wife was handling his return; Lilia had personally wondered what Corvus' presence would bode for Hieronymus' career. She realized now that on some level the man respected Lex's talents, as he'd used her to send Hieronymus off to protect Countess Umbranox, but that didn't change the fact that he was a pompous ass. That was probably the reason it had taken him so long to lift the curse after she'd told him how; she imagined that it would have taken him a lot of time to finally present himself humbly to the Nine for forgiveness. A most amusing picture of him kneeling in front of an altar, arrogantly telling the Gods what they were supposed to do, threatened to make her giggle. After a brief hesitation she tossed the note to join the others.

The last note was a very worrisome one from Modryn. His tone was syrupy sweet as he asked her to see him in Chorrol; his previous notes had been blunt and terse. She suspected the mer was not happy that she'd essentially run out on him and the guild. Lilia wasn't sure how to handle him and threw his missive on to the fire. She'd have to write him some sort of explanation soon. A visit to Chorrol could be very valuable; the knowledge she'd received from Erthor and Athragar had helped greatly in her battles with the daedra. Since she couldn't go to them she toyed with the idea of inviting them to meet her at Cloud Ruler Temple and once again felt the desire to giggle at the thought. If Jauffre had been upset by one slightly violent Bosmer she couldn't imagine how angry he'd get if she invited two Wood Elf conjurers who had a habit of playing with scamps to visit. Martin and Baurus would probably love it though; they'd both been highly amused by Methredhel.

She was very happy that Baurus was around to help watch over Martin when she couldn't be with him. However, Lilia wasn't happy with the inexperienced young Blades who guarded Cloud Ruler Temple. Now that she knew Oblivion gates could open at any time she felt very nervous that she'd potentially have to leave the Emperor alone in their care in future. Lilia frowned as she stared at a small circle on the wall where one of Martin's frostballs had stained the wallpaper. Perhaps there was something she could do to remedy the situation.

* * *

"You haven't eaten my breakfast on me again, have you?" Martin asked as he stepped out of the bathroom and into his suite. His vampire steward rolled her eyes at him.

"No. And you are allowed to put a shirt on; I'm glad you're so pleased with the results but I don't think Jauffre would approve." She answered. Martin rolled his eyes in return and went over to get one from the wardrobe. To his surprise he found it well organized; Lilia must have done it during the night. He wondered what she did to pass the time as she guarded him while he slept. "The things that will probably fit you are on the right side."

Pulling on a fine wool tunic he found himself marvelling at the sensation as it passed smoothly over his shoulder and upper arm. He'd spent several minutes staring into the mirror in the bathroom earlier; Martin wasn't sure how but she'd actually managed to heal him, to return his flesh to normal. The relief he felt was even greater than he'd anticipated. His stomach growled at him and he moved over to sit on the carpet by the low table; Lilia hadn't put his meal anywhere near his desk this morning.

"Eat. We both forgot to feed you dinner last night." She urged him to enjoy his breakfast, which had been far more restrainedly sampled. "The eggs are wonderful."

"Why did you order so much preserved food?" He asked before grabbing a forkful of scrambled egg. She'd distracted him with her magic pack before he'd gotten a chance to ask her about it last night.

"It's all for you, actually. I want you to keep it hidden in your room so you can safely eat it if you get hungry without needing anyone to taste it first."

"Hidden in my room?"

"Yes. I put it all away last night. You'll find the oranges in the bottom of the wardrobe under the pile of clothes. The preserves and squib jelly are in your lower desk drawer. The dried mutton is under your pillow. I'm still not sure where to put the jar of kwama eggs though." She pointed at the large jar on the table. Martin shook his head; he'd probably be finding foodstuffs for days. He hoped she actually remembered where she'd stashed everything.

"What sort of magic did you use on me?" He was very curious; she'd done something he'd never heard of before. He smiled to himself; she'd actually done quite a few things that he'd never heard of before. She was a very strange one indeed.

"Finish your meal first and then I'll tell you." Lilia's tone indicated that she wasn't going to talk until he had eaten. Between his hunger and his curiosity it didn't take him very long to polish off his breakfast.

"All done." He said. Lilia sighed and nodded.

"Have you ever heard of Ulliceta gra-Krog?" She asked.

"The name is vaguely familiar but I don't remember anything about her."

"She was the Magister of Orsinium a decade ago. She participated in the debate about Necromancy; you can read her remarks in the _Black Arts on Trial_. She was secretly a servant of Mannimarco. The Nine pushed me to train with her; I'd been hearing rumours on the Isle of Arteum about her and her remarkable method of healing scars. Every time she was mentioned I felt a small tug and eventually I figured out that I was to leave the Psijics and journey to Orsinium."

"What was Arteum like?" Martin didn't know anybody who'd ever been there before. Lilia smiled at his question.

"Magical. Literally magical. Every stone, every leaf, every drop of rain that falls there is somehow infused with magicka. The place is timeless and beautiful beyond description. I didn't want to leave; I'd spent five years there and had begun to think about making it my permanent home. There is so much that I didn't get a chance to learn. But I'm not really a scholar. Much as I loved it I will admit the idea of spending the rest of my life exploring the intricacies of mysticism didn't appeal as much as just being able to live there. Perhaps one day I will visit again, though I doubt it." She sighed before continuing.

"Ulliceta was easy to find. She told me to meet her at her home rather than at the Mages Guild when I asked about training. It should have been a clue that something wasn't right but I hadn't yet encountered the unusual methods of the Divines. At the time I trusted that they'd never lead me into danger. I'll behave." Lilia saw that he was about to warn her to watch her tongue. She carried on. "The Magister taught me the strange spell. I realize now that it was Dark magic; Necromancy is what I learnt from her."

"Necromancy? You used Necromancy on me?" Martin was very surprised to hear it.

"Yes. But it wasn't being used for its original purpose. I didn't steal your soul or anything." Lilia waved away his concerns.

"Original purpose?" He didn't like those words. Lilia shifted in her seat and hesitated before answering.

"From what I've learnt the spell was originally used to melt flesh from dead bodies to prepare them for being re-animated into skeletons."

"What? How exactly did you learn this spell? How many times have you used it?" Martin was not happy with her answer.

"I didn't practice on dead bodies. At least, not on dead people. Ulliceta taught me how to do it on dead livestock. The trick is to cast just until the flesh starts to bubble; the magic breaks up the scar tissue and allows it to be healed away. You can't stop before that point because otherwise you'll toughen the flesh like overcooked meat. I've never actually used it on anything alive before."

"You never…meat, I mean, dead bodies?" Martin couldn't believe what she'd just told him. She'd practiced her spell on him! A Necromancy spell no less. One she'd only used on dead livestock. He felt vaguely horrified.

"You worry too much little Emperorling. The Divines fancy you right now; they wouldn't have let me fail. Besides, do you really think I would have offered if I wasn't confident that it would work?" Lilia clucked her tongue at him and he felt a bit mollified. Still, he wasn't happy that she'd essentially experimented on him.

"What do you have planned for today? I think Baurus wanted to start giving you lessons." She was changing the subject.

"I'll wait for him to come get me then. I've got a lot of work to do to translate the _Mysterium Xarxes_." He stood up and walked over towards the desk.

"Why are you working on that evil book? And what did you mean that you would need four items for the ritual?" Lilia sounded very suspicious. She was eyeing the desktop with a look of distaste.

"I know that I can open a portal to Mankar Camoran's Paradise if I decipher these instructions." He answered as he sat down. "It's our only hope of recovering the amulet. Jauffre thinks that the fact that the Dragonfires have been dark for over a year is the reason that the portals to Oblivion can open. I must relight them as soon as possible. I can't let any more people die."

Lilia murmured; it sounded like a noise of approval. "Wait, how do you know that you can open a portal?" She suddenly asked.

"I had a sort of...vision yesterday. I'm not sure how to explain it, but I suddenly knew." Martin still didn't understand what had happened. The knowledge had just come to him, as well as the image of the blue daedric fire. His blue daedric fire.

"A vision? What were you doing when it happened?" Lilia's voice sounded closer. Looking over he could see that she was now standing but keeping her distance from the book. She really didn't like it.

"Looking at the fire. I didn't do anything; it just came to me." He pointed at the fireplace as he answered. Lilia's eyes were narrowed in suspicion.

"I know you trust them, but I don't. If you have any more visions please let me know before you act on them." Her open hostility towards the Nine, even though she still served them and they still blessed her, was something that he couldn't understand. He nodded vaguely at her and turned back to his notes. What could _the very eyes of Padhome_ possibly mean?

* * *

Lilia glanced over occasionally to watch Martin and Baurus spar. While the man had a lot to learn he was picking things up quickly. The Redguard was showing him a variety of excellent techniques; the Blade was a very good teacher. Perhaps she could take a couple of lessons with him.

"Can you cast it again?" Roliand asked and she turned to look at him. The Nord held out his right hand and she took it with her own. Caroline, Baragon, and Arcturus were still sitting there with their eyes closed, pointing in unison at the figure of Captain Steffan as he patrolled the battlements. She'd been teaching the Blades who were off duty how to cast her detect life spell. Lilia hadn't been pleased when she'd learnt that they'd never been taught one before. She couldn't understand it; the young members didn't seem to know half of the things the veterans did.

The thought of experienced Blades reminded her of what Baurus had said. It still surprised her that her father had been a Blade spymaster, but it made a lot of sense. Occasionally she'd wondered why he'd never advanced into a more prominent position despite his years of service, and why he'd rarely ever got time off unlike the other diplomats. It also helped to explain his keen observational powers and his proficiency with weapons; he'd been quite a warrior. Her father had been the one to teach her how to use a bow and how to wield a staff when she was still a child, despite her mother's concerns about her young age.

It had been a good decision though; they had encountered dangerous situations ranging from angry woodland creatures to ambushes as they'd traveled around Tamriel. As the Emperor's representative Eraden hadn't always been welcomed warmly as they'd moved about the Empire. Lilia had always kept a bow and some arrows beside her in the carriage, occasionally using them to help drive attackers off. Though her skill hadn't been much of anything until she'd aged a bit more, but at least she had been able to provide a small amount of aid.

Where her mother had introduced her to mysticism magics her father had been highly skilled in illusion. He'd taught her a simple chameleon spell as soon as she could learn it. He was the one who'd shown her how to go invisible or to cast a minor charm spell. Her mother hadn't approved; while it wasn't anything she had against the school of illusion she had complained that teaching a child like Lilia about such things would only lead to trouble. Lilia suspected that teaching her anything would have led her into trouble no matter what. If only she had to worry about her father catching her sneaking food from the kitchens now. That would be a welcome change from being involved in preventing the unknown plans of a Daedric Prince.

"What are you doing?" Jauffre asked from behind her. He didn't sound as though he approved; he rarely approved of anything that she did. The feeling was mutual.

"Training the Blades. I find their education to be somewhat lacking." Lilia answered. She noticed that Baurus and Martin had stopped practicing and were slowly walking over. Things between her and Jauffre tended to be tense at best.

"I don't recall giving permission for this." The Grandmaster's tone was icy. Lilia turned around to look at him; he certainly didn't look happy with her. "You'd better stop this right now." Jauffre was speaking to the sheepish looking Blades.

"They're off duty. They don't need your permission to learn anything." Lilia stood up and glared at the Breton. Was he trying to get Martin killed? Why wouldn't he allow them to learn something useful?

"Captain Steffan, please let it be known that I order all Blades not to learn anything from the Emperor's steward." Jauffre spoke to the veteran Blade.

"Cancel that. I order that all Blades learn whatever it is she wishes to teach." Martin spoke in an authoritative voice and Lilia resisted the desire to grin. He was taking her side. "This nonsense had gone on long enough. I don't know what the problem is between you two but I want it to stop."

Martin was looking at her as though she was to blame and she gave him a dirty look in response. As far as Lilia was concerned the entire situation was Jauffre's fault. He'd been the one to wait a year for her return and he'd been the one to lose the amulet. He was also the one that seemed to be intent on ordering her around as if she were just another Blade.

"Yes, you're quite right. After all, we both have the same goal of placing you on the throne." Jauffre gave Martin a smile before looking at Lilia. "Besides, I have need of your particular talents."

"Another assignment?" She was starting to get annoyed by them; he had a whole host of Blades to use and for some reason he always seemed to choose her to go out and do the work.

"Not so much of an assignment as an information gathering request. We've seen a couple of figures watching the Temple in the evenings. I'd like you to visit Bruma and ask the guards if they've noticed anyone suspicious around town, or if anyone has been coming and going from the city in the evening hours. You are on such good terms with them after all, I'm sure you wouldn't mind doing us this favour." Jauffre's smile looked almost smug; again he'd managed to present it as if Lilia was the most logical candidate to do the job. She hated when he did that.

Looking over at Martin she stifled a curse; he appeared rather happy that they seemed to be getting along. Lilia gave Jauffre one of her false grins.

"Of course. Anything to help."


	84. Chapter 84: Changes

"Lilia! Have you come back for that drink?" Carius greeted her warmly. Lilia sighed; she found it so odd that in a way she missed her old existence of wandering the province making thinly disguised social calls among her friends. She'd used to think it a rather pointless way to spend her time; now it seemed idyllic. She always found it funny how perspective could change so quickly.

"I'm afraid I'm here on business. I need your help." They were standing in the street near the Jerall View Inn. She'd found Carius on his rounds through the city.

"Are you finally going to go visit the Countess and Jorundr? They've been wanting to see you since they learnt you were up at Cloud Ruler Temple with the Emperor." Lilia didn't stifle her curse; it was maddening how much everyone seemed to know about her secret business.

"Count Jorundr. The Nord's only got one name; it's not that hard to add his title to it." She corrected Carius. While she didn't mind him referring to Jorundr without his title between them it was something that he shouldn't do around others. She was trying to train him out of the habit. "And I wasn't aware they were looking for me."

"Sorry. Count Jorundr and Countess Carvain asked the guards to keep an eye out for you last night. I think they'd like to ask you about the Emperor and the Oblivion gate. Is he really the Emperor?" Carius was clearly curious.

"He's the heir; he's not Emperor yet. But yes, he will be." Lilia sighed. She couldn't see the point in denying it. "I'm actually working for him. That's why I'm here."

"You're working for the Emperor of Tamriel? That must be very glamorous." Lilia laughed at the guard's awed words. She wouldn't call sitting on a sofa all night, traipsing through Oblivion, or getting glared at by Jauffre glamorous at all.

"I don't think that's quite how I would describe it. Do you have time to go to the barracks with me? I'd like to review the recent logs." Carius nodded and began walking with her to the castle. She was still impressed with how well he'd handled the daedra and had been ready to go into Oblivion with her. He was a good man; she could think of no better term for him.

"What are you looking for?" He asked as they moved through the town.

"Anything out of the ordinary. Any new arrivals in town, anyone who leaves town for brief periods or at odd hours, that sort of thing."

"Like that Bosmer who's staying at Olav's? What did Ongar call her?" He asked himself the question before snapping his fingers. "Martabell! That's it."

Lilia stopped in her tracks. She'd thought the mer had returned to the Imperial City. She began glancing around, convinced she'd see the Wood Elf fly around the corner and run at her. She was sure that Methredhel would have heard the rumours of just who Martin was by now; she'd probably be rather annoyed that Lilia had failed to mention that she had unknowingly taken tea with the Emperor.

"Trouble?" Carius asked her quietly as he stepped closer to her, drawing his longsword in the process. Lilia laughed; she hadn't meant to worry the man.

"No, no trouble. Her name is Methredhel by the way. And she's not the one I'm looking for. Though you might want to keep an eye on her just in case." Lilia gave the bewildered man a smile. Hopefully Methredhel would behave in Bruma; Lilia highly doubted it though.

* * *

Carius paced the length of the great hall of Castle Bruma. Lilia had been in with the Count and Countess for almost an hour now. He was sure something big was happening but he didn't know what it was. Everything seemed to have suddenly changed.

There was an heir, a future Emperor. And for some reason he was hiding up in Cloud Ruler Temple. And for some strange reason he had Lilia working for him. And for some inexplicable reason an Oblivion Gate had opened in front of Bruma yesterday. Carius couldn't help feeling that it was all somehow related.

They'd not found anything helpful in the logs. Lilia had him looking for anything unusual, any new arrivals, anything out of the ordinary. Despite searching the records and asking the other guards there had been no strange activity. She'd eventually revealed that they were trying to track down a couple of people who'd been spying on Cloud Ruler Temple after swearing him to secrecy; he'd felt rather lost as to what to look for and had asked for further information. Spies, in Bruma? It still seemed impossible.

And yet the Oblivion gate had been considered a remote possibility, something that would never, could never, happen here. But it had been all too real and Carius still remembered the first wave of panic that had seized him when the alarm had rung out. Ilend's presence and information had been invaluable in keeping everyone alive. And Lilia's telekinesis training had certainly come in handy.

The strange alchemist finally emerged from her meeting. She was wearing that unusual assortment of armour he'd seen her in before; according to her it worked better than a matched set. Somehow it seemed appropriate for her to be using. Though he felt it perhaps didn't reflect properly on the noble nature of her new employer.

"They weren't happy that they hadn't been informed beforehand about the unique visitor to Cloud Ruler Temple but I think I managed to calm them down. Narina really is something else; the woman has a courage that astounds me. Fortunately she seems completely loyal to an Emperor she's never met before." Lilia said to him as they began walking to the courtyard.

"Countess Carvain. She is a remarkable woman, though Jorundr complains that it is very difficult to win an argument with her." Carius replied, seizing the opportunity to correct her.

"Count Jorundr. And I think he just hasn't figured out the right methods of persuasion to use on her yet." Lilia replied with a wink and Carius laughed. She was so unfazed by nobility; while he was comfortable with his friend Jorundr he still felt rather intimidated being around Countess Carvain. "Let's go patrol the city while I try to think of something. I'm sure Jauffre didn't send me on a wild guar chase."

"What's the Emperor like?" Carius asked as they walked along the upper level of the city. The sun was shining and wild flax was blooming along the stone wall. The warmth hinted of the coming long days of the summer months.

"Martin? I think you'd like him. He's a very good man; there's no question that he's Uriel's son." She answered softly as she glanced around.

"Is he why the Oblivion gate opened?" She nodded at his question. Carius sighed; while he was glad that there would once more be an Emperor he wasn't happy that the safety of Bruma and its citizens was currently in jeopardy because of him. "How are they opening?"

Lilia didn't get a chance to reply. A sudden harsh cry halted their conversation in its tracks.

"For Lord Dagon!" A strange figure dressed in a ghastly red and silver armour was running towards them. Lilia pulled out her shortsword and Carius readied his spells. Neither of them needed to use them though. A glass arrow flew through the air and lodged itself in the attacker's throat. Carius watched as the armour disappeared in a mist of orange magicka. Meanwhile Lilia was looking towards the source of the arrow. Following her surprised look he saw a Wood Elf sitting on top of the high wall surrounding the city.

"Methredhel!" She cried out to the Bosmer, who was currently climbing gracefully down the wall. Carius was always impressed with how agile Wood Elves could be. He'd heard stories from visiting Legion soldiers of one who apparently had a habit of climbing up onto the roofs of Chapels in other cities. "Why did you do that?"

"I was trying to keep you alive; you don't seem to be too concerned about doing it yourself. Why didn't you tell me he was the Emperor?" The mer had her arms crossed in front of her as she stood on the ground and looked somewhat grumpy. He recognized her as the same Bosmer who'd been buying ale for a drunken Ongar. The rumours surrounding the Nord were highly amusing; Carius had been told the man was a member of the Thieves Guild. Which had to be the most absurd thing he'd ever heard, as the Nord never left town and spent all of his waking hours drinking at Olav's. If he was a thief then he had to be the laziest thief Carius had ever seen.

"Because at the time I though it was still a secret. I would have told you if I'd known he was already famous. I am his steward after all; it is my job to conduct introductions properly." Lilia answered to Carius' complete confusion. "I appreciate the help but just what were you doing up there?"

"Admiring the view. And waiting for you to show up. I figured you'd be back sooner than later, at the very least you could have come to check on me."

"Check on you? You're supposed to be in the Imperial City with Armand. Why are you still here anyway?" The way Lilia asked reminded Carius of an inquisitive and domineering great aunt of his. The comparison was not a flattering one; he'd never cared much for Aunt Lulabell.

"I wasn't planning on going straight back. Armand has been busy with his promotion and I thought I'd spend a bit of time checking out Bruma." Methredhel suddenly seemed to notice Carius' uniform. "Who's he? Have you been arrested again?"

"No, I haven't been arrested. Methredhel, I'd like you to meet my friend Carius Runellius of the City Watch. Carius, this is my friend and neighbour Methredhel." Lilia made the introductions and to his amusement the Bosmer held out a hand in the Imperial fashion. As he shook it her large eyes suddenly grew wider.

"He's the one that had the half-beard and the girlfriend who wrote awful poetry, isn't he?" Methredhel asked Lilia and Carius found himself suddenly uncomfortable. What other anecdotes had Lilia shared with her friend?

"Yes he is." She answered the mer before looking over to Carius. "I didn't tell her anything else, don't worry." Lilia gave him a wink.

"Why are you wandering around with a guard while wearing your ridiculous armour?" Methredhel asked.

"Emperor's business. Speaking of which, Carius, would you happen to know who our friend is?" Lilia pointed towards the dead body on the ground that had been forgotten for a moment. As he went to investigate he noticed Lilia drag Methredhel away and start whispering at the mer.

Turning the body over he recognized her immediately; Jearl had attacked Lilia. The Redguard had been such a meek woman, spending her time traveling to visit her aging Grandmother down south. Some of his fellow guards were headed towards him and Carius waved them over. They had to dispose of the body; they couldn't leave it lying in the streets.

After informing his colleagues of what had transpired and leaving the corpse in their care Carius walked back to Lilia. He couldn't hear what she was saying but he did catch Methredhel's answer; her voice had increased in volume.

"I told you, I bought my arrows. You shouldn't be so surprised that I'm a good shot; I'm a Bosmer. Of course I'm an excellent marksmer. And I will not go back to the waterfront while you wander around trying to save the world without me." The mer stamped her foot to accentuate her convictions.

"I give up. Do what you want; I've got enough to worry about. Just don't go running into any gates; daedric shins are resistant to irritating Wood Elf kicks." Lilia threw up her hands and walked over to meet Carius. "Who was the assassin?"

"Jearl. She lived on the east side of town."

"Let's go check her house."

"Good idea." The Bosmer had joined them and Lilia sighed as she shook her head at the mer's words.

"Methredhel, go back to Olav's. This is an official matter."

"It can't be that official; I don't see you wearing the Bruma eagle." The mer pointed at Carius' shield. "Though it would match just as well as the rest of your gear." .

"I've also been told it's a dragon. Which do you think it is?" He asked Methredhel. As she studied the shield he heard Lilia sigh again.

"Gods, I don't have time for any of this. Fine, come along. Carius, lead the way."

As they moved through the streets Methredhel took the opportunity to inform Carius of Lilia's failure to introduce her properly to the Emperor and her sinister plot to stuff her full of sweetrolls. He found himself rather liking the mer; her stories were very amusing. He could picture Lilia doing such strange things. He'd just started telling her about the first time he'd met Lilia in the dungeons when they arrived at Jearl's house.

"Carius, so sorry to interrupt, but can you pass me the key?" Lilia asked sarcastically as she held out her hand. He realized with a start that he hadn't searched Jearl's body. He didn't have the key on him. She seemed to instinctively know this. "You forgot to get the key?"

"I'm sorry. I'll go back and get it." He offered.

"Don't worry; I've got it." Methredhel said brightly. She pulled out a lockpick from somewhere Carius didn't quite catch and went to work on the door. A small click announced she'd succeeded in unlocking it. The mer turned around and noticed Carius' suspicious stare.

"She used to apprentice with a locksmith. Isn't that right Methredhel?" Lilia pointedly asked the mer, who was now blushing as she nodded. Carius was getting the idea that perhaps Methredhel wasn't quite as innocent as she appeared. "We're looking for anything suspicious, any recent letters, anything at all interesting or out of the ordinary. Check all the usual hiding places."

Methredhel started nodding along with Carius before freezing and blushing again. She followed Lilia into the house; Carius closed the door behind them as they entered. The small home was sparsely furnished. Glowing embers lay in the fireplace; the fire hadn't been tended in hours. Lilia walked over to the bedroom and stopped. She walked backwards and forwards a few times; Carius could hear that her footsteps sounded different as she walked over the plain woven grass rug that covered the floor of the sitting room. He and Methredhel helped move the furniture out of the way and roll up the rug. A small trapdoor was set in the pine floorboards.

"Keep looking. I'm going to check this out." Lilia told them as she opened the square door. Carius and Methredhel started searching; he was spending more time watching the mer than looking through the room. Lilia certainly kept odd company. She was friends with a former prisoner turned Count, the future Emperor of Tamriel, and a Bosmer with an apparently illegal set of skills. He didn't get time to reflect much more on it; Lilia's sudden cursing carried up from the basement. Her words grew louder as she crawled her way back up into the house.

"What's wrong?" Methredhel asked. Lilia paused in her cursing and gave the mer a sudden hug before releasing her.

"I'm glad you're here. We could use all the help that we can get." Lilia answered. Carius got the sinking feeling that as much as things had suddenly changed there was still much more, and worse, to come.


	85. Chapter 85: Allies for Bruma

"I'm not telling you without him. He needs to read this." Lilia's voice could be clearly heard through the door. Martin sighed; he was so close to deciphering one of the clues. It felt as if it was just below the surface of his mind, similar to when he'd search for a certain word while writing a sermon. He knew what it was but he couldn't name it. Closing the book he nodded at Baurus to open the door; the Redguard was a constant companion whenever his vampire steward wasn't around. So far she'd never left for the night; Martin wondered what would happen then. Would Baurus stay up until dawn, or would he sleep on a couch? If it came to that he sincerely hoped the man didn't snore.

"You only found one of them. Your mission isn't complete; give that to me and get back out there." Jauffre's voice replied and Martin sighed again. The two of them could never seem to agree on anything. It was so frustrating to him; he admired, respected, and trusted both of them. Yet they paired as well as squib jelly on sweetcake; not at all.

"Do you know what you can do with your mission? You can take it and shove it right up your..." His steward was standing in his room and began gesturing with her fist. He was starting to become very familiar with that hand movement. He often caught her using it on the ceiling when she thought he wasn't looking.

"Lilia." Martin cut her off and she turned to give him a warm smile. The smile quickly faded though as she walked closer to him, stopping a couple of feet from him. She really didn't like the book or his work on it, though she'd told him that it was a good idea. Standing and moving over towards her he noticed Jauffre looked very put out. The Breton took advantage of the interruption.

"She's found one of the spies but has failed to track down the second one, instead insisting that you read something first. And she wouldn't tell me what it was. Withholding information is something we can't tolerate in these dangerous times." The Grandmaster may have been speaking to Martin but he was looking coldly at Lilia.

"Withholding information is something that your Blades should learn how to do; everyone in Bruma already knows everything about him." She pointed at Martin with the roll of parchment in her hand. He reached over to take it; perhaps he could cut this short and get back to his research. The part he was working on told him that he needed a great...something. Four great somethings, actually. The book was quite clear that they couldn't be mundane whatever they were; they needed to be great. He wasn't really sure what it meant by great either.

"Read that." She instructed Martin before turning back to the Grandmaster. "And while you wait perhaps you can send some of your precious Blades to go and do your dirty work. If I managed to find one of the spies I'm sure your men would be more than capable of finding the second one. There's a secret passage in Jearl's basement; that's probably why they were able to leave town without arousing the suspicions of the guards." Lilia gave Jauffre another one of her large fake grins. Martin stopped watching her and looked at the unrolled letter.

As he read it he understood why she hadn't waited before returning to him, and why she'd insisted on speaking with him. The enemy was planning to open more Oblivion gates in Bruma; the Mythic Dawn was trying to summon another great gate. The Nine have mercy on them all.

* * *

Martin was working on his book again. Lilia had managed to convince him to eat dinner; the man was so focused nothing seemed to register. She was sure he'd forgo sleep and food if she let him; the work was so distracting he seemed to forget everything else.

She wished she could so easily lose herself to one thought; there were several whirling around in her mind right now. The letter she'd found in Jearl's basement had horrified her. The Mythic Dawn was actively trying to open up three lesser gates in order to create a great gate. From what she'd heard in Kvatch, and the gentle questions she'd asked Martin, that was what had allowed the machine to come through. She didn't know what the siege engine did other than reduce anything in its path to burning rubble. She'd seen the trail left by it in Kvatch. Bruma would never stand a chance against it.

At their first meeting today Lilia had warned the Count and Countess that more gates may open up outside of Bruma; they'd not been happy at the news. Lilia hadn't been looking forward to returning to them and telling them that more gates would definitely be opening outside the city, and that if enough of them were allowed to open then Bruma would surely be destroyed. As Jauffre had pointed out she was the Emperor's steward; she should be the one to talk to them. Lilia hadn't gone just for that reason to their second meeting though; she considered the Count and Countess her friends and had wanted to be there to reassure and comfort them when she told them the bad news.

They'd been greatly distressed by the information but Narina had quickly declared that she would do everything in her power to ensure not only the safety of her city but also that of the heir. Lilia was always impressed by the Imperial; she was courageous, confident, and resolute. Jorundr had added that they would never abandon their citizens or their Emperor; it really pleased her that the Nord had adapted so well to his new role.

She'd returned to Cloud Ruler Temple once more and had been very unhappy to find Jauffre in a meeting with Martin. He'd convinced the future Emperor that she should go visit each of the cities in Cyrodiil and ask for additional aid to defend Bruma. While she was Martin's temporary steward her unofficial role was that of his protector and she didn't like that the Grandmaster always tried to send her away from him. Touring the province at a time such as this hardly seemed like a good idea.

To her immense displeasure Martin hadn't changed his opinion of the plan. Jauffre had mentioned to him that she already knew some of the rulers, that as the daughter of a diplomat she was aware of proper etiquette, though the Breton had grumbled that she didn't seem to show it, and had also used her position as his steward to convince Martin that she was the most suited for the job.

Hating to do it she'd finally agreed to the plan when she'd realized that neither of them would be swayed by her counterarguments. But she had insisted that she wasn't about to leave until morning the next day. Lilia wanted Baurus to have a good night's sleep before she entrusted Martin's care to him. The Redguard was the only one of the Blades that she felt had the best chance of keeping him alive should anything happen.

She stared at the fire and cursed Jauffre in her mind before snorting to herself. The Grandmaster of the Blades was sending a somewhat mad cranky vampire to the Counts and Countesses of Cyrodiil to speak on the future Emperor's behalf. Somehow she didn't think that she was the best one to send to find allies for Bruma.

The small push startled her and Lilia jumped up. The Gods had touched her and she had no idea why. Searching through the walls she looked for attackers or something else to be wrong. But everything was as it should be, though Martin had paused in his work and was looking over his shoulder curiously. The man had finally mastered her detect life spell and she was pleased to know that he was maintaining it almost constantly now. Lilia gave him a small smile and sat back down. She must have been mistaken.

With a sigh she turned back to the fire. It made no sense to her whatsoever; she still didn't understand just why she'd been made to do the things she'd done since she'd returned to the Imperial City. Lilia especially couldn't fathom why they'd pushed her to join the Arena.

"Stop it." She hissed out; the Divines had shoved her again.

"Stop what? I've almost deciphered something, why do you want me to stop now?" Martin asked her impatiently.

"Not you. Go back to your work." She waved at him and he frowned before turning back around. The man hated interruptions.

Lilia gestured rudely with her fist up at the ceiling. If the Gods were trying to tell her something then they were being completely obtuse about the whole thing. Did they want her to help Martin in his work, despite the danger? She waited for the Divine pressure but felt nothing. She sighed in relief.

Shaking her head she once more thought about the unfathomable plans of the Gods. Or lack of plans; she was now convinced that they were merely amusing themselves with her rather than actually planning anything. At least she'd stopped trying to read anything into their influence anymore; the battle with Mannimarco had cured her of that. She'd been convinced that the Gods had wanted her to fight the King of Worms; apparently they had her join the Mages Guild for an entirely different, and completely unknowable, reason.

"Godsdamn you to your own Nine Hells!" She shouted up at the ceiling; the Nine had shoved her off the couch. Martin dropped his quill and stood up; he didn't like it when she cursed the Aedra. He especially didn't like it when she interrupted his work with blasphemies.

"Lilia, we've gone over this. I'm still not sure how you think the Gods could damn themselves to their own Hells. Would you mind not telling them to do that, since it won't accomplish anything anyway?" He asked while walking over to the green sofa. She was sure she'd ruined his concentration; Lilia really wanted Martin to succeed in his work. So far he was the only one who'd come up with any sort of plan to retrieve the amulet from Mankar Camoran's Paradise. While she hated the plan she loved the reasons behind it. It pleased her that he felt so strongly about trying to protect his future citizens that he'd risk binding himself to the _Mysterium Xarxes_, even if just temporarily.

"They're pushing me again! If they quit touching me then I'll stop talking to them. You know I don't like to anyway." She muttered while pulling herself back onto the blue sofa. Martin sat down at the far end from the fire on the green one and quickly stood back up. He fished under the cushion and pulled out a small package.

"Raisins? You put raisins in the couch?" He asked as he held them up.

"Of course. You can't keep them in the bathroom; they'll get mouldy. And if they're too close to the fire they'll dry up into rocks." Lilia answered absently. Despite her intense dislike of the Nine she really was curious why they were suddenly bugging her again. Noticing a pattern she thought about the Fighters Guild and her role in it. The Gods certainly wouldn't have cared about the Blackwood Company enough to have her join for that purpose. She'd barely even done any missions for them; most of her recent work had been through Modryn. As with the other guilds the whole thing was a mystery to her.

"Flaming Akatosh on a stick!" She exclaimed as she once more pitched forward and tumbled to the silk rug. To her surprise Martin didn't chastise her for her curse; instead she felt his hand on her robed arm as he helped to pull her back up to her feet. Lilia never felt the need to wear armour when alone with him. As comfortable as it was she always enjoyed a chance to escape the heavy metal for a while.

"I saw that. They really do touch you, don't they?" He sounded somewhat awed as he asked and she tried hard not to laugh at him. She was rather sick of Divine touches; though touch sounded far too gentle a term to her.

"Yes, the bastards love shoving me around for no reason. I'm just their plaything; a constant source of amusement for them." She replied bitterly. He looked curiously at her with those enchanting blue eyes of his and she berated herself; he wasn't the one she was annoyed with.

"They must want you to do something. What were you doing just now?" He asked.

"Nothing. Just sitting here thinking quietly."

"Thinking about what?" He asked.

"About how you want me to go forth and bring back allies." She replied and stepped forward quickly to counteract the unseen force on her back. Lilia righted herself after the pressure relented.

"Anything else?" Martin was clearly entranced by the whole situation. Lilia just shook her head. It had stopped fascinating her years ago.

"Just how they abandoned me after making me join the guilds and Arena." She flew forward so quickly after she answered that she couldn't prevent herself from falling. Martin managed to grab her before she went sprawling on the opposite sofa. She revelled in his strong arms as he helped her regain her balance. Lilia shook her head again; now was not the time for such thoughts.

"Hmm. That makes less sense then the _Mysterium Xarxes_. You're getting messages about both finding allies and being in the guilds." She listened to his charming voice with a small smile. Lilia particularly like how he pronounced 'allies' and 'guilds.'

The sudden understanding caused her to sit down heavily on the green sofa. She raised her eyes up to look up at the ceiling.

"Is that it? That's why you had me join everything?" She asked quietly. To her surprise she felt two gentle pressures on her body. Looking to her left she saw nothing; she felt only the soft touch of the Divines. Looking to the right she saw Martin's hand on her shoulder. He was giving her an odd look; a cross between mirth and reverence.

"Did the Divines make you crush my raisins, or was that just you?" He asked with a grin. Lilia jumped up and shooed him back to his desk. Meanwhile the drawers were opening magically and parchments, quills, and an inkwell were flying through the air to the table by the sofas.

"Back to work with you. I've got a lot to do tonight and I can't afford any more interruptions. Jauffre wants me to get you allies; that's exactly what I'm going to try and do."


	86. Chapter 86: Imperial Assistance

The day dawned bright and clear causing Lilia to turn her face away from the vibrant light of the sun. The intensity was starting to bother her again and despite her reluctance to leave she found herself wanting to hurry and go. She was starting to get hungry and she didn't know how much longer she could hold out.

Martin and Baurus were standing in the courtyard; she'd been giving both of them instructions on how to keep the future Emperor alive and well in her absence. While Martin had been amused by the exhortations of safety Baurus had listened carefully; it gave her a small measure of comfort to know that the Redguard wouldn't leave him alone. Jauffre was standing beside the door to Cloud Ruler Temple watching her departure. Lilia was beginning to dislike the man intensely. While he did give some sound advice to Martin and certainly was intelligent everything about him just rubbed her the wrong way. She gave him a cheery wave and a large fake grin; his body told her he didn't like it when she did that.

"Where are you going first?" Baurus asked.

"I haven't decided yet." Lilia lied in reply. She knew exactly where she was going but she didn't want any of the Blades to know. She hadn't even told Martin. The amount of information that was leaking from Cloud Ruler Temple distressed her greatly. The last thing she wanted was for the enemy to know exactly where she would be. Jearl's attack still played through in her mind; while the Redguard hadn't been much of a threat Lilia didn't like the fact that she'd attacked her in the street in the middle of the day. The agents of the Mythic Dawn really seemed to loathe her.

"Then good luck wherever you're going. Too bad about the horses." Baurus nodded at her. Lilia tried not to sigh. Somehow the horses they'd brought up from Weynon Priory had all been assigned to other agents in the time she'd been up at Cloud Ruler Temple. When Jauffre had told her this she'd been unable to restrain herself; she'd berated the Breton for his lack of foresight and preparedness. One thing she intended on doing as soon as she could was buying two of the fastest horses in Cyrodiil for herself and the Emperor. Should Martin's current location ever be deemed unsafe for him he'd need to flee, and as far as she knew he either couldn't teleport or didn't have an anchor set. Lilia had left hers just off the path to Cloud Ruler Temple in a tiny nearby cave. While it wasn't the most isolated spot she'd decided against putting it anywhere inside the fortress; she couldn't dismiss the idea that Jauffre would somehow kill her in self defence should she ever suddenly teleport in front of him. The man was almost more paranoid about her and her motives than she was about his own.

Lilia smiled at Martin; she never liked leaving him. At least he'd have a chance to concentrate. She'd finally forced him to get some sleep late last night, or rather early this morning. It had taken several magical pokes with an unused quill before he'd agreed to leave the book alone. The tired blue circles under his eyes were easily visible. Baurus had been secretly instructed in the care and feeding of the obsessed future Emperor of Tamriel; the Redguard had been amused by her unusual assignments. He'd told her that tucking in an Emperor had never before been one of his duties.

"Be right back." Lilia grinned like an idiot; Martin said her standard farewell at the same time she did. As she tried to control her facial muscles she reflected on how charming he was. Then she mentally kicked herself and nodded at him. Without another word she turned and walked down the stairs and out the gates of Cloud Ruler Temple. She didn't look back; Lilia was too afraid she'd suddenly change her mind and refuse to go. That wasn't an option she would be comfortable pursuing, especially since Jauffre's plan for her also seemed to be the will of the Divines. She wasn't about to jeopardize Martin by refusing the Nine.

The trek around the Bruma city walls went quickly and Lilia frowned as she noticed a petite Imperial with a large bag heading from the stables into the southern city gates. The woman looked familiar and Lilia searched her memories trying to place the face. She was sure she'd seen her before. Feeling very suspicious Lilia started walking after her; she wasn't about to leave before determining where she knew her from.

Petrine emerged from the stables and Lilia quickly glanced over before suddenly stopping in her tracks. Looking carefully she realized just where she'd met the woman before, though they'd never actually been introduced. It was the same courier she'd stolen a horse from in her haste to get to Mannimarco. And that same magnificent black stallion was being led by the Nord into the paddock. Lilia looked around; nobody had seen her yet. Casting her invisibility spell she made her way over to the stables with a happy smile on her lips.

For once she was grateful for coincidences. The horse would certainly help speed her travels. And it wasn't as if she was going to keep him; Lilia rationalized to herself that it wasn't really stealing so much as borrowing. And it was certainly for a good cause. Besides, she was sure that the _Black Horse Courier_ would be delighted to print a follow up to their sensational exposé of possessed runaway horses that they'd published earlier this year.

* * *

Waiting impatiently she tapped her foot and noticed the Imperial guard look at her with annoyance. Lilia put her foot back down and once more stared at the doors to the Elder Council. She still couldn't figure out what was taking so long or why she only saw one tall figure inside the chambers. She didn't have time to wait around; there were so many more places for her to go.

The herald emerged from a side door and she quickly assumed a tall and graceful pose. She'd actually debated changing into something more appropriate before deciding to wear her armour. Lilia was still waiting for some sort of attack from another Mythic Dawn assassin and she wasn't about to make it any easier for them.

After she'd tied up her pilfered horse at a small inn in the village of Aleswell she'd run invisibly across Lake Rumare and through the Imperial City. She'd dropped her spell only once she'd reached White Gold Tower. Even if the servants of Dagon were after her Lilia felt she didn't have time to flush them all out. At least nobody within the palace had suddenly started spouting lines from the _Mythic Dawn Commentaries._

As the herald announced her to Chancellor Ocato she was pleased that he didn't seem to be about to attack her either. The Altmer didn't seem to be hostile at all; in fact he looked rather tired and defeated as he quickly rose to give her the barest of polite nods before heavily returning to his chair. There weren't any other council members present.

"Steward to the heir presumptive?" Ocato's voice was very quiet as he questioned her. "Is it really true? Martin is Uriel's illegitimate son?"

"Yes. If you saw him you'd recognize the family resemblance immediately." Lilia quickly replied. Ocato sighed and waved at a seat beside him; he was inviting her to sit down. This was highly irregular for a meeting with the High Chancellor and the Elder Council; no one who wasn't a member was invited to sit at the table. But then things were highly irregular; there weren't any other members present. Ocato also didn't seem too concerned for political niceties at the moment.

"Why hasn't he come to the Imperial City then?" He asked. Before Lilia could answer the mer continued. "Is the Amulet of Kings really missing?"

"I wouldn't say missing so much as currently unavailable. As soon as it is recovered Martin will present himself and prove that he is the heir." Lilia replied calmly despite the worry that ran through her. Ocato was remarkably well informed and she was afraid that the knowledge that the amulet wasn't in Martin's possession would leak out just like all of the other things she felt should have been kept secret. The last thing the Empire needed was to hear rumours about a Priest of Akatosh who was claiming that he was the son of the dead Emperor without so much as a shred of proof. She was certain that others with weaker claims but stronger proof would then begin agitating for the throne, most likely resulting in civil war.

"And he's sent you here to advance his claim?" Ocato was studying her and she could see how tired he looked. The High Elf's position was an unenviable one; at the moment it seemed as though he was trying to hold together the Empire single-handedly. Lilia felt a sense of pity for him.

"No. The Mythic Dawn knows where he is and is threatening the city of Bruma. The Count and Countess need reinforcements if they are to defend against the attacks." By the time she finished speaking Ocato was already shaking his head.

"If I could help you I would, but I don't even have a spare garrison for the Imperial City. When the council scattered they took every last legion soldier that they could with them. I've heard about the gate that opened by Bruma and it distresses me that I can offer you no aid." The High Chancellor's voice was full of fatigue and remorse as he denied her request. Lilia could see by his body language that he wasn't lying; she didn't doubt that the self-serving members of the Elder Council had made sure they'd done everything in their power to secure their own lands before abandoning the Imperial City.

In her opinion the Elder Council was hopelessly outdated; while it had once been necessary to institute a policy of members buying their way on to the council in order to shore up the Imperial treasury the idea had led to the ruin of the purpose behind the council's existence. Instead of acting as a group of advisors to the Emperor it was now filled with extremely wealthy individuals who seemed to only be concerned with increasing that wealth at the Empire's expense.

Not seeing any further benefits in prolonging her meeting with the harried mer Lilia stood and made her excuses. She had one more avenue to explore before falling back on to her own resources and she had the feeling that this line of inquiry would prove even more futile than her request to the sole remaining member of the Elder Council.

* * *

"Lilia! I'm glad you're back; we were just talking about you." Raminus stood up from his seat in the council chambers and offered his hand to the Master Wizard who'd just teleported up from the lobby of the Arcane University. Lilia was glad that he was being friendly; as far as she was concerned he had every right to be irritated with her. She hadn't spoken to him in ages other than the hastily written note she'd sent from Bruma.

"Non-council members aren't allowed in here. You should leave." Maranique's tone was icy and Lilia wasn't happy to note it. She hadn't come to see the Arch Mage; she'd come looking for the Imperial Battlemage.

"I am a council member. Besides Hanibal is here and he isn't a part of the council anymore." Lilia nodded at the white haired Breton who was sitting beside Raminus. The former Arch Magister sometimes sat in and offered advice to Lilia and Raminus during their meetings. She'd come to realize he was actually quite wise.

"You resigned your position in order to tend to your work with the pretend Emperor." Maranique replied.

"She didn't resign." Raminus didn't sound happy with the Breton and Lilia cursed mentally. They'd obviously discussed this subject before and judging by the way they were looking at each other she assumed they didn't see things the same way.

"No, I didn't resign. And he is the heir." Lilia said as she sat down beside the Arch Mage. She wondered if a charm spell would work on Maranique; probably not, the woman was a master of illusion magics.

"I'll believe that when I see some proof. In the meantime he's just a renegade traitorous priest trying to take over the Empire." Maranique waved an elegant hand in dismissal. Lilia sighed; this was not going well.

"Perhaps you would like to meet him? I would be happy to introduce you." She offered. The Breton shook her blond curls and sneered.

"Don't try to toy with me. It's pathetic."

"Toy with you?" Lilia was confused and Maranique rolled her eyes; today they were a lovely shade of amethyst.

"You offer to introduce me to the false Emperor; obviously you're after something. But you won't get me to fall for your tricks; I'll never forgive you for the insult you gave to Jeanne."

"Jeanne?" Lilia was now very confused, even more so when she noticed Raminus shaking his head discreetly. He'd been trying to warn her away from the subject.

Maranique stood up so quickly her chair toppled over behind her. The Warlock was suddenly furious. She stabbed a bejewelled finger at Lilia as she started screeching.

"Jeanne? Have you already forgotten that you had my cousin demoted out of her post as guild mistress of Bruma? Do you not recall further insulting her by casting a spell on her that rendered her unable to speak for two days?"

"Two days? She really is incompetent; any simple dispel magic would have removed it." Lilia muttered under her breath to Raminus; he was giving her another one of those scolding looks. She decided to try a different approach with the seething Imperial Battlemage.

"Maranique, I'm not here to discuss the guild or your cousin. Oblivion gates are opening in front of Bruma and the city needs help. A battalion of Battlemages..."

"Ha! You want me to provide warriors for your rebellion? Forget it! You and the usurper can rot in the Nine Hells; I'll never aid you!" Maranique wasn't shouting anymore; she sounded like she was growling as she snarled out the words.

"He's not an usurper; he's the Emperor. And I'm not asking for him, I'm asking on behalf of the Count and Countess of Bruma. For once in your life use your brains for something other than charm spells, how is it going to look for you to refuse a request for aid because of a personal grudge?" Lilia asked as calmly as she could; the Breton was infuriating. She never did listen to reason or act for any other purpose than to make herself look good. In Lilia's opinion Uriel would have been hard pressed to appoint anyone worse to the position of Imperial Battlemage.

"Don't try to manipulate me; I won't fall for your tricks like these two old fools. Which one did you bewitch first? Raminus? We both know you don't have the skill to merit your position, Master Wizard." Maranique gave Lilia a bitter grin; she looked like a harpy as she did so. The insult was too much for the highly stressed vampire to take.

"Unlike you I didn't need to sleep my way to the top. Must have been a nice promotion; from Imperial Whore to Imperial Battlemage. Too bad Uriel didn't keep you in your former role; he must have already experienced your variety of skilled positions." Lilia barely noticed Raminus and Hanibal cast magical shields as she stood up angrily and surrounded herself with spell absorption magic.

Maranique let out a cry of fury as she sent magical lightning at Lilia. The highly annoyed vampire absorbed it and used it to send the strongest dispel enchantment she could back at the Imperial Battlemage. Before the shrieking Warlock ran from the council chambers Lilia noted the sudden family resemblance between her and Jeanne Frasoric. Without the layers of illusion magic her shiny curls had fallen flat and her eyes were the same muddy shade of blue.

"I thought you were working on being civil." Raminus said softly; the room had gone silent with the departure of Maranique. "Though I can't really blame you; I've wanted to dispel her for years."

Lilia sighed and shook her head as she sat back down. That had gone far worse than she'd anticipated. Looking at Raminus and Traven she noticed that they seemed more amused than irritated. It helped calm her a little; she had some things she needed to discuss with them.

"What have you been up to lately?" Raminus asked her. "Were you really involved with that business down in Leyawiin with the Blackwood Company? That reminds me; you've got a message from the new Fighters Guild Master." Raminus floated a small piece of parchment over from a side table. Lilia grabbed it and quickly read the note; there were only three words in reply.

_Sounds like fun._

She chuckled softly to herself; the mer really did have a strange idea of what constituted a good time. She smiled up at the two men who were watching her. "Yes, I was there when the Blackwood Company was disbanded. I'll have to tell you about it another time though; right now we have other things to discuss. I've had a lot of time to think lately and I've come up with some ideas of how we can help protect the citizens of Cyrodiil from the threat of the Mythic Dawn. But I can't do it alone. I'll need help. A lot of help."


	87. Chapter 87: Illusion

The Blue Road flew by under the hooves of the stallion. The highway to Cheydinhal was empty today and Lilia barely noticed the pale flashes of purple where wild lavender swayed in the breeze as she rode by. There didn't seem to be enough time for anything anymore; she'd spent far longer in the Imperial City than she'd wanted to.

After finishing her business with Raminus and Hanibal she'd gone to visit the fighters in the Arena. Synderius had been happy to see her; Ysabel certainly hadn't. Lilia had briefly considered silencing the ranting Battle Matron as she'd been lectured on her failure in her Grand Champion duties. She'd never returned to the Arena after she'd won the title. To her complete confusion Owyn had been happy to see her for a change; at least he'd been in a very good mood for some inexplicable reason. When Lilia had finally gathered up the warriors and revealed her purpose below the Bloodworks Ysabel had promptly thrown a huge fit and Owyn had begun beaming with pleasure. Lilia had no idea what was wrong with the two of them. They were among the strangest people she'd ever met.

The response had been better than she'd expected and Lilia felt somewhat less nervous about making her tour of the cities of Cyrodiil. She'd decided to start with Cheydinhal and work around in a circle to finally end up at Chorrol. She'd also chosen Cheydinhal because she needed to see a mer about a horse; so far she'd been lucky and hadn't been questioned by any Legion soldiers but she couldn't shake the feeling that it might be a good idea to abandon the stolen stallion sooner rather than later.

The wind was picking up and she could hear the sound of distant thunder. That was unusual; the weather hadn't been warm enough for thunderstorms to occur. Lilia looked at the sky and noted the ominous dark clouds above Cheydinhal. The red glow that tinged the clouds caused her to spur her horse on even faster. Icy fingers of panic had her heart firmly in its grasp.

An unpleasant sensation inside her confirmed her fears. Another Oblivion gate had opened up, and all signs pointed to it being beside the city. This was what she had been most afraid of; Lilia offered a prayer to the Nine that she'd make it in time to help keep the citizens alive. While she hadn't forgiven them and she certainly didn't trust them she'd started praying to them on behalf of others again. It comforted her slightly to implore them to keep Bruma safe in her absence. It especially comforted her to beseech them to protect Martin for her.

Instead of riding to the stables she guided the stallion directly to the Oblivion gate that shimmered just north of the town entrance.

"Lilia! Glad you could make it. We could use your help here. Though you've already sent us a fair bit of help." Tierra greeted her with a wave. As Lilia slid off the stolen horse she noticed that several of the Mages Guild and Fighters Guild members were mixed in with the town guards behind the barricades. Between the portal and the wooden spikes lay several dead daedra; Lilia noted with consternation a few dremora mages and even a couple of xivilai on the ground. Those were far tougher foes than scamps and daedroths.

"How long has it been open? Is everyone okay?" Lilia asked the Redguard as she silently called for all of the Gods blessings on the head of Savlian Matius. Ilend had told her that Countess Goldwine had ordered Kvatch abandoned and the refugees to the safety of other cities. While it hadn't been a direct order Savlian had asked the now homeless guards to spread out and try to protect the other towns of Cyrodiil. They'd all agreed without hesitation.

"It opened up just before noon. We had some injuries but so far we haven't lost anyone. The Mages were a big help in dealing with the spell casting daedra. I don't think things would have gone quite so well without them." Tierra answered. During her reply a young Imperial dressed in the uniform of the Cheydinhal guards had walked over to join them. Tierra made the introductions.

"This is Garrus Darellian, Captain of the Guards. Garrus, I'd like you to meet Lilia. She's the Hero…"

"Garrus. A pleasure to meet you. Are you new to Cheydinhal?" Lilia quickly tried to cut Tierra off and offered her hand to the smiling man. While she hadn't ever spent much time aboveground in the city Lilia did know that the Captain of the Guards had been a corrupt Breton named Ulrich Leland. She'd overhead Ocheeva instructing Taelandril to bribe him to prevent certain patrols from occurring; while the Dark Brotherhood had never been mentioned Ulrich had happily accepted the gold and followed the wishes of the Sanctuary Mistress. Lilia suspected that the lack of guards in certain places at certain times had allowed some of the less stealthy family members to come and go through the town without being seen. Until that overheard conversation she'd always wondered how Gogron hadn't attracted unwanted attention; even in Cheydinhal with its large population of Orcs a massive warrior wandering around encased in a complete set of dwarven armour would still be considered unusual.

"New to the position, not the town. I was promoted last month." He answered. Lilia examined him discreetly. While he was handsome and seemed kind she had no idea if he was as corrupt as his predecessor. It didn't really matter to her; she couldn't afford to be picky about her allies.

"You've only been Captain for a month? I thought you were far more experienced than that. You're such a natural leader." Tierra smiled as she spoke to the guard and Lilia pressed her lips together to keep from breaking into a grin. Unless she was greatly mistaken she was sure the Redguard had a crush on the Imperial.

"Thank you. That's quite a compliment coming from someone who's served under such a great Captain." Lilia turned away, pretending to tend to her mount, and gave the black horse a large smile and a wink. From what she'd noticed the feeling appeared to be mutual. Marvelling at Mara's continued work even in the midst of such dark times she took a deep breath before turning around and interrupting their conversation.

"Nobody has gone in yet, have they?" Lilia asked. She didn't want to risk being destroyed with the gate if the sigil stone was removed before she could get to it. So long as she had a hold on whoever took the stone she'd be transported back with them. It had been rather awkward to do in the Kvatch gate; Menien had been unconscious the entire time and Lilia had made sure to wrap her arms around his and had even entwined one of her legs with his before daring to grab the stone. From what she'd heard from Ilend he'd recovered physically from his captivity but wasn't strong enough mentally to return to active duty yet.

"No, but we certainly had some who wanted to try. Farwil Indarys and his Knights of the Thorn actually planned on marching into the gate and closing it by themselves. Garrus managed to convince them to join the defenders instead; I think that the mages were about to do something to them to prevent them from going in." Tierra whispered to Lilia. She pointed at a handful of knights dressed in shiny steel armour and Lilia was very glad that Raminus had managed to send out the letters to the guild halls before the gate had opened. The plane of Oblivion was no place for warriors, especially those who didn't even bother wearing helmets in battle.

"Their threats did more to help convince them to stay on this side of the portal than anything I said to them." Garrus added as he shook his head. "Though I'm rather surprised that the Mages Guild is getting so involved with this. It's a little hard to coordinate things when a part of your group is under different orders. At least the Fighters Guild members were cooperative."

"That's what they were instructed to be so I'm not surprised about that." Lilia answered softly as she looked at the defenders. She saw Burz gro-Kash, looking far less grumpy than normal as he held his heavy ebony bow. An Altmer and a Nord she recognized but didn't know the names of were among the other Fighters Guild members aiding the guards. Deetsan, Trayvond, Eilonwy, and Orintur from the Mages Guild were present as well.

"What are your orders?" Tierra stood at attention as she asked.

"I'm not the one in charge here. But I can suggest some things if that's okay." Lilia spoke to Garrus; as the Captain of the Guards she doubted that he'd appreciate her coming along and bossing his men around. To her surprise he smiled and shook his head.

"Tierra's told me all about your trip through Kvatch; you managed to clear a city of daedra without an injury to any of the soldiers. I'd be delighted if you had any ideas." He replied. She was getting the impression that he wasn't like Ulrich at all. He was far too humble to be so corrupt.

"Thanks. I wouldn't change anything out here, but I am going to go in with a couple of mages and close the gate for you. Just make sure to kill anything that comes out of the portal in the meantime. And make sure nobody follows us in." Tierra and Garrus both nodded and Lilia made her way over to the Mages Guild members. They greeted her warmly. After thanking them all heartily for their aid they had a brief discussion. Orintur and Eilonwy volunteered to head into the gate with Lilia and after a quick demonstration of their illusion skills she agreed to let them accompany her. As they walked towards the portal she heard Trayvond musing softly that perhaps illusion wasn't such a wicked school of magic after all.

* * *

Riding around the city Lilia noted the clear sky above her and the distinct lack of uncomfortable sensations in her stomach. Coming around the curve she saw the wreckage of the Oblivion gate on a grassy hill near the north entrance to Bravil. She smiled and turned her new black stallion towards the stables. This was a welcome change.

The Cheydinhal gate had been closed with a minimum of fuss; Eilonwy and Orintur were far less silly than J'Skar and Volanaro had been. Though they had been rather sappy during the whole thing. They'd even held hands while wandering around in Dagon's mini-plane. Lilia had been rather amused by it; the planes of Oblivion certainly weren't designed for lovers.

She'd quickly bathed at the Mages Guild before going to visit with the Count of Cheydinhal. Lilia would love to find a way to keep ash from getting everywhere whenever she closed a gate; for a vampire the sensation was remarkably uncomfortable. Feeling far more presentable she'd met with Count Indarys, Garrus Darellian, and Deetsan. An arrangement to ensure the safety of Cheydinhal should another gate open had been worked out and the Count had agreed to send Garrus and a contingent of guards off to Bruma's aid. That was more than Lilia had hoped for and she'd been very grateful to the Dunmer for his assistance. She'd made sure to be as polite as possible; once Martin was on the throne she didn't want him to have to deal with the aftermath of a rude steward. The man had enough problems as it was.

By the time she'd reached Leyawiin she'd been very happy to find a group of scholars from the Arcane University waiting for her. Lilia's new horse had made excellent time; she'd purchased one for herself and one for Martin at the Black Waterside Stables outside of Cheydinhal. Their horses were said to be the fastest in Cyrodiil and she'd found the claim to be true. The stolen black stallion had been left with Tovas Selvani; Lilia had made up a story about finding him wandering just off the road leading to Cheydinhal and assuming he'd come from the stables because of his colouring. She was sure the abandoned courier in Bruma would be very confused to learn that her horse had made it's way to Cheydinhal alone.

The note Lilia had sent to Raminus before leaving Cheydinhal had asked him to send everyone who was skilled enough in illusion magic down to Leyawiin to learn how to close the gate there; by that point the news that gates had opened up in front of every city in Cyrodiil had reached her. Agata had managed to convince the guards not to enter the gate until Lilia's arrival; Decentius hadn't needed much convincing, he still remembered Lilia and her help with the Blackwood Company raid. The group of scholars had been a bit difficult to manoeuvre around in Oblivion but they'd managed to move through and up to the sigil stone. The logistics of making sure that everybody was grabbing somebody had been a bit tricky but they'd worked it out and closed the gate after Lilia's warnings to make sure their mouths were closed. For a second time that day she'd needed to wash up in the Mages Guild.

After visiting quickly with the other Mages Guild members and stopping in at the Fighters Guild she'd gone to meet with Count and Countess Caro. They'd been more generous than they realized; they'd offered to send up their Argonian, Khajiit, and Orc guards. It was obvious by the way the Countess wrinkled her nose involuntarily and the way the Count subtly shook his head as they'd discussed it the Caros thought that they had come up with a clever way to rid themselves of their lesser soldiers. Their foolish bigotry amazed Lilia but she certainly hadn't bothered to correct them about it; the warriors they were sending to Bruma were actually some of their best. She'd seen them fight in the Blackwood Company hall and knew just what they could do. Despite her dislike of the Count and Countess she'd been perfectly polite and kind as she'd thanked them for their generous contribution to the cause.

Bravil had been her next destination and her horse had sped quickly north along the Green Road up to the city. Lilia had a good idea of just how the gate had been closed in advance of her arrival. She stabled her stallion with Isabeau Bienne and quickly made her way to the Mages Guild. As expected she found the mer waiting for her in the entrance hall; he was in a very good mood.

"Lilia! Why didn't you tell me how much fun that was. But what do you do about the ashes? They get absolutely everywhere." Fathis greeted her warmly and she chuckled at his question.

"The only remedy I've found is a nice warm bath. I've already had two today, thank you for preventing me from needing a third." She answered. "How did you close the gate?"

"Well, unlike some rather amusing Psijics I am able to levitate. I simply floated invisibly to the base of the tallest tower, stepped inside, and then flew right up to the top." Fathis shook his head. "Ugliest architecture I've ever seen. They make Telvanni mushroom towers look like Ayleid masterpieces."

Lilia laughed at the comparison. Tels certainly weren't the prettiest of structures but they were far nicer than anything in Oblivion. At least they didn't use skin as a building material.

"Have you talked to the Count since you've closed the gate?" She asked Fathis.

"Not yet. Now would be a good time to see him; he started celebrating after I closed it and if I know him he's probably at the generous stage of drunkenness. I'll come with you; he's rather fond of me at the moment." The mer shook his head and led Lilia towards the door. Despite her many visits with the Court Wizard she'd never yet set foot in Castle Bravil.

"So tell me about our Emperor. Are you really working for him?" Fathis asked as they walked through the town. Lilia started breathing through her mouth; the canals were especially fragrant today.

"I am. I'm his temporary steward. He's a good man; I think he'll make an excellent Emperor. At least once he learns what he needs to do." She answered. Martin was currently woefully unprepared for his new role. It didn't worry her too much though; keeping him alive and fending off daedra were slightly higher priorities at the moment.

"His steward? You?" Fathis laughed at her answer and she gave him an angry glare. Everyone found that rather amusing. Noticing her unhappy stare he quieted down. "I don't mean that you're unqualified for the post. Janus tells me you can be quite politic when you want to. I simply find it funny; I'd imagine you being his Battlemage before being his courtier."

"Thank you." Lilia didn't mind the mer's mirth anymore. At least she had his vote of confidence in her unlooked for job.

"Are you preparing him for the Elder Council?" Fathis asked.

"Not really. Right now I'm just trying to keep him alive. Things are rather complicated at the moment." Lilia stopped walking suddenly as an idea struck her and grabbed Fathis' dwarven covered arm. They were standing in the courtyard of the castle; colourful flowers and unwelcome weeds surrounded the statue of a centurion in the centre. "You're a Dunmer."

"Yes, most Telvanni tend to be." Fathis was looking with amusement at her clutching hand.

"Have you ever had dealings with daedra? Can you read daedric?" Lilia asked him as she released his arm.

"I've never worshipped them if that's what you're asking. I always followed the teachings of the Temple, though recently I've been looking into the Nine. I'm not too sure just what I'm worshipping now that the living Gods aren't living anymore. But yes, I can read daedric. Any Telvanni worth the title of Wizard can."

"Just how generous does the Count get? And is he immune to charm spells?" Lilia asked with a mischievous grin. Fathis gave her a happy smile in return.

"Are you sure you only have House Redoran in you? Because right now you sound just like a Telvanni."


	88. Chapter 88: Social Obligations

"Count's orders. You're not to get anywhere near that gate." Arielle Jurard spoke calmly and authoritatively. Lilia didn't think she could risk these odds; a dozen Battlemages, all of whom seemed to be just as skilled as Arielle, outnumbered her.

"Did he say why?" Lilia asked. She was going to murder Janus when she saw him.

"Apparently you're late for tea."

Lilia snorted and stalked off towards Castle Skingrad. The red clouds above hid the stars; it was already evening. She couldn't figure out what he was playing at. Janus had a contingent of Battlemages guarding the Oblivion gate from her. It made no sense and she pondered what devious purpose such orders could serve as she stalked along the winding path up to the courtyard. Glancing back down she briefly wondered if he was keeping the gate open so that the ash storm could help fertilize the fields around the city; she wouldn't put it past the calculating vampire.

As she unlocked the door to his apartments Lilia found herself wondering just where he'd gotten Battlemages in the first place. She didn't wait for him to come down to meet her and instead walked straight to his salon.

"It's not considered polite to barge in uninvited on a Count. Especially when you are the Emperor's steward." Janus said in way of greeting when she slammed the door closed behind her and finished coating the walls with a silence spell.

"You think that's impolite? Try this for impolite." Lilia gave him a sickly sweet smile and gestured rudely at him with both of her fists. The Count merely arched an eyebrow before walking over to the buffet.

"I expected as much. You really don't like it when you don't get your way, do you? That's not going to serve you well in politics; you'll need to learn to better control your emotions." He said dryly as he reached for the teapot. His hand stopped in mid air as the fine ceramic flew magically out of reach.

"I don't have time for tea. I don't have time to play games. I need to close the gate and I also need your help. I'm sure you already know exactly why I'm here, but I don't know why you've made me come visit. Because I can assure you I'm not in the mood to be polite company so you'd be rather disappointed if that's what you're after." She crossed her arms and felt incredibly grumpy. Lilia knew she was overreacting but it was getting harder to control her feelings; the desire to feed was now a constant unwelcome companion.

"I can see that. Your attitude brings back a lot of charming memories. Such as the lovely night we first met under the stars." Janus was smiling now and Lilia relaxed a bit. At least he wasn't trying to provoke her. "But as much as I love to reminisce you're right, I didn't want you here for your delightful conversational skills. I was waiting for you to help me close the gate."

"You? You want to close the gate?" Lilia didn't understand.

"Do you have any idea how insufferable that Telvanni will be if he closes one and I don't? Besides, it helps my reputation among my citizens. They'd be quite delighted with their beloved Count if he risked his life to save theirs." Lilia laughed at the explanation. The Count certainly considered every angle in everything that he did.

"Oblivion is not a good place for a vampire. Do you have any protection against fire?" Lilia couldn't imagine moving around beside lava without her enchanted armour.

"Do you think I wear this for decoration? Who exactly am I impressing with it?" Janus pointed down to the exquisite jewelled amulet around his neck. Lilia had noticed it before; she'd wondered what sort of enchantment he'd placed on it.

"I know you can move invisibly and I know you don't need to worry about a detect life spell. Can you use telekinesis while invisible?" She asked. Teaching Count Hassildor how to close Oblivion gates was something she wouldn't mind doing. The more people who could do it the safer the citizens of Cyrodiil would be.

In response Janus vanished and Lilia watched as the teapot magically danced in front of her. "Is there anything else you want me to do?" He asked as he dropped his spell.

"I don't need you to do anything. But you might want to change. Closing portals is messy work."

Lilia waited for the vampire to return from his bedroom while pondering his unusual motives. And people thought that her way of thinking was strange. She snickered when Janus emerged dressed even more regally than he had been. Perhaps he'd misunderstood her.

"I can't go save Skingrad dressed like a field hand." He explained archly. "It wouldn't convey the correct note of nobility. Speaking of which have you ever considered trying wearing matching armour? I hear it can be quite effective. After all, you are the Emperor's representative."

"I may be his representative but I'm not about to risk my unlife for aesthetic reasons. Now can we get this done? I still have to visit Anvil and Chorrol." Lilia opened the door and noticed Janus' mouth close; he'd been about to say something but had changed his mind with the disruption of the silence spell.

"Lead the way."

They walked back down to the gate without speaking. The Battlemages were surprised by the Count's presence; even though he'd recently started appearing in public more frequently he still had a rather interesting reputation. Lilia doubted that they knew his true nature, but his powerful magical skills were well known by the inhabitants of the Arcane University. Lilia had even overheard Apprentices wondering how the Imperial had managed to learn how to extend his life like a Telvanni. They probably wouldn't like the answer.

"Battlemage Jurard, continue to hold the perimeter around the gate. We'll be back in…" Janus turned to look at Lilia. "How long does this usually take?"

"As long as it needs to. I can't tell you how long the journey will be until we get in there. I've not spent longer than two hours in one though."

"Very well. If we aren't back by dawn then I want you to send in Magician Drilvi and Warlock gro-Shak. They'll know what to do." Lilia recognized the names; she'd trained the scholars how to close Oblivion gates just this afternoon.

"Yes sir." The Breton nodded stiffly; she was being perfectly formal with the Count. Lilia was sure that pleased him. To her surprise Janus turned and walked right into the gate. Not wanting to look as though she was hurrying after him Lilia calmly walked over before stepping through. It was a strange sensation, or rather lack of sensation. It didn't feel like anything at all. One moment she was on Nirn, the next she was in Oblivion.

"Can we speak freely in here?" Janus' invisible form asked her.

"Nobody on Nirn can hear us but this is Dagon's plane. Anything we say will be overheard by him." Lilia answered.

"What if I do this?" Lilia felt the sensation of a silence spell being woven around her and Janus but it didn't coat any walls; there weren't any walls to be found.

"Where did you learn to do that?" She asked. Listening she could hear that their voices didn't travel past the magical barrier. Mehrunes Dagon would not be able to hear them; it would be as if they weren't talking at all. "And yes, that will work."

"You really should ask Fathis to teach you something other than conjuration. At least you should ask him to teach the heir a few of these spells; it will help him greatly in his future role." Janus had started walking towards the tallest tower; it was easy to see where they needed to go. The intense beam of bright light shooting out of the spiked structure was a strong clue. Lilia fell into step beside him. "He is a former member of the Mages Guild, isn't he?"

"Why am I not surprised that you know that. Anything else you've learnt about him?" Lilia asked. She wanted to know what rumours were floating around about Martin.

"I haven't had long to inquire, but I know that he grew up on a farm and moved to the Imperial City as soon as he was old enough to join the guild. I also know that he left the guild after a few short years and wound up in the company of daedra worshippers. I don't have all the details; though he did leave a much wider trail then you did. He traveled through the provinces of Hammerfell and Skyrim before settling into a cult of Sanguine in High Rock. Somehow they all ended up dead in a daedric attack; he was the only survivor. Pretty soon after that he joined the Order of Akatosh and worked his way up to Priest." Lilia was glad that Janus couldn't see her face as he spoke; even she didn't know that much about Martin. "Are you sure he's the heir?"

"Completely." She answered softly.

"I just need to do this, correct?" Janus asked as he magically flung a xivilai standing in the middle of the path ahead of them off into a nearby pit of lava.

"Yes, that's it." Lilia murmured.

"He has no idea what he's supposed to do, does he?" Janus inquired.

"No. That's not really one of my worries at the moment though. I'm too busy trying to make sure he survives. If he makes it to Emperor then he can worry about petty politics and gossip. Right now I'm far more concerned with these Oblivion gates. Something is wrong; this shouldn't be possible." Lilia waved her arms to indicate the mini-plane they were standing in. She knew that Janus would see the gesture.

"Petty politics. I'm not sure I would call them petty; one overwhelmed Altmer is currently holding the Empire together. If Martin doesn't get on the throne soon I'm not sure there will be an Empire for him to rule."

Lilia sighed. The Count was right but there wasn't anything she could do about it now. She felt rather helpless; even though she was working to secure aid for Bruma Lilia still felt powerless to do anything to help recover the amulet and get the Dragonfires relit; hopefully that would put an end to these Oblivion gates.

"Is it true? Has the Amulet of Kings been lost?" Janus asked; he'd heard her sigh.

"It's not lost; we know where it is but we can't get to it. Mankar Camoran has taken it to his own little daedric realm which he affectionately refers to as his Paradise." Lilia could see no reason to lie to Janus; she knew he wouldn't repeat anything too sensitive to the wrong ears.

"Mankar Camoran? The son of the Camoran Usurper?" The purple figure fell out of step for a moment.

"You've read _The Refugees_ as well? Yes, the bastard son of the Camoran Usurper has stolen the amulet of the bastard son of Emperor Uriel. And now Martin is spending all of his time trying to figure out how to get it back."

"Lilia, as much as I know about what's going on I have to admit that there are some things even my sources don't know. Why don't you start from the beginning and tell me how you got involved in this in the first place."

"I'll tell you what I can but there are some things that I won't discuss. As to the beginning I'll merely say that I was in the wrong place at the wrong time twice. And then I went to Kvatch…"

* * *

Looking around the marble tiled room Lilia realized just how much Janus loved luxury. Even the soaps had been hand carved into perfect little seashells; three of them sat lined up on the edge of the tub. Sniffing them she recognized the delightful fragrance of lavender. With a contended sigh she slipped lower into the water.

"Is everything satisfactory?" Janus asked her from the other room; he didn't need to raise his voice in order for her to hear him. The door to the bathroom had been left open a small crack; this way the silence magic wouldn't prevent sound from passing between them.

"Everything is bloody marvellous. I feel like I could stay in here for hours; all I'd need would be a glass of red wine and some Nord chocolate. There's a wonderful shop in Windhelm that I once visited; I'd love to taste their product now." Lilia answered. She felt both content and melancholy; while she was greatly enjoying being clean once more she knew she didn't have time to waste in the bathroom of the Count of Skingrad.

"I can get a bottle of Tamika Vintage 399 sent up if you like." He offered.

"No thank you. I'm almost done anyway; I really should get going again." Lilia slipped under the water after she answered and rubbed the ash out of her hair. The two vampires had moved without incident through Oblivion to the sigil tower. The irony of their discussion on how to thwart the plans of Mehrunes Dagon while traveling through his mini-realm had not been lost on her.

Lilia had told Janus as much as she dared. She'd left out the interference of the Nine and her troubles with Jauffre, but otherwise she'd told him what had happened at Kvatch, at Weynon Priory, and since her arrival at Cloud Ruler Temple. Even Janus had never heard of the Mythic Dawn until they'd been revealed as the assassins of the Emperor and his three sons just recently. He hadn't been happy to hear that Mehrunes Dagon and Mankar Camoran had teamed up and orchestrated everything; the Count was just as stumped as to their motivation as Lilia was. Though he was just as convinced that it didn't bode well for anyone.

As they'd moved up the tower to the sigil stone they'd begun discussing Lilia's current assignment to gather allies to defend Bruma. After she'd told him about the Mythic Dawn's plans to open a great gate outside the city Janus had quickly offered to send a contingent of his finest guards as well as the Battlemages under his command up to Bruma. He'd asked her what the other rulers had sent and had been rather surprised by the generosity of Count Terentius. Lilia had evaded his rather pointed questions as to how she'd managed to get him to offer such magnanimous assistance.

Further conversation had been precluded by the removal of the sigil stone; neither vampire had needed to tell the other just how awful the ash felt when they arrived back in front of the ruined gate. Janus had been more regal than Lilia had thought possible as he'd received the praise of the Battlemages and assorted citizens who'd come down to wait for their Count to return. None of them had seemed to mind the fact that he was coated entirely in grey ash as he did so.

She'd let him clean up first; she was sure he had less tolerance for it than she did. While she wasn't getting used to it being coated in daedric ash was a sensation Lilia was becoming intimately familiar with. Slipping her head back above the water line she sincerely hoped that she didn't need to go into too many more gates.

"…Count Umbranox still up." She hadn't caught the first part of Janus' sentence; he'd been speaking so quietly even with her enhanced hearing she hadn't noticed him talking while she was underwater.

"I'm sorry, what did you say?" Lilia asked as she hoisted herself out of the tub.

"That you don't need to hurry off to Anvil. The Countess will surely be asleep by the time you get there. Though you might find the newly returned Count still awake; apparently all is not going well between them." Janus paused briefly before continuing. "You wouldn't happen to know where he was or why he returned, would you?"

"Vivec's nose hairs! Why do you think I'm involved in every strange thing that happens in Cyrodiil?" Lilia faked an indignant tone as she dried off; she was glad he couldn't see her impish grin. She was not about to tell Janus that she'd helped the former guildmaster of the Thieves Guild return to his wife. That would raise far too many questions for her tastes.

"Vivec's nose hairs?" She giggled as he repeated the curse to himself. Lilia was trying to stop blaspheming the Nine; Martin had asked her so nicely after all. But she had no problems swearing by most Daedra and the Tribunal. That particular curse had been one she'd picked up in Blacklight from a minor House Hlaalu noble. The memory brought a wicked smile to her lips. She'd learnt more than just a curse from that mer.

"So the rumours about the Countess being unhappy with her husband are true?" Lilia asked as she dressed. The gossip in Bruma had been split on the subject but she wouldn't be surprised if Milona Umbranox was less than pleased to have her husband back. He was a pompous ass after all. Lilia certainly wouldn't be happy to have him show up again after an eleven years absence.

"Not entirely. From what I've heard she alternates between happiness, anger, and tears. It doesn't sound as if Corvus is much more pleased about the situation either."

Lilia opened the door fully. She was now putting her armour back on. She had brushed it off while she waited for her turn in the large deep tub.

"Done already?" Janus looked surprised to see her so soon.

"I told you, I don't have time to spend splashing about in lavender scented water. I want to get this done and return to Martin."

"I've been thinking. I have met his steward and I do know where he currently resides. Proper etiquette would dictate that I call on him. I think I'll take a trip to Bruma. I hear it's lovely in spring."

Lilia looked up from her greaves and regarded Janus with a very suspicious expression. His sudden desire to meet the future Emperor worried her a little.

"What about your citizens? How could you leave them in such dangerous times?" She asked.

"I do know how to teleport; I'll set an anchor here. And I can communicate magically with my steward if I need to. Besides I spend all my time in my apartments as it is, how would they even know I wasn't here?" Janus had obviously been thinking about it.

"I can't stop you but I also can't guarantee an audience with him. Though I can tell you that you certainly won't get one until I return." Lilia told him as she pulled on her gauntlets. She doubted that Jauffre would allow any visitors in to see Martin if he had his way. Her armour firmly affixed to her body once more she walked out through the bedroom and back into the salon.

"All the more reason for you to hurry off to Anvil. It will give me a chance to settle in to Bruma and call upon the Count and Countess. Narina is a rather remarkable woman; I'd like to get to know more about her and her new husband." Janus said as he stepped into the room. "Tell me, do you do this on purpose?"

"Do what?" Lilia frowned at him; she didn't know what he was talking about.

"Turn commoners into nobility. You've helped raise a prisoner to a Count, a warrior to a Lord, and now you're trying to make a Priest into an Emperor. As far as hobbies go it is a most unusual one." She laughed at his answer; Lilia had never thought about it before. It did seem to be a bad habit of hers.

"The only one who wasn't noble by birth was Jorundr, and when you get to know him you'll see that he's noble by nature. Thank you for the use of your tub. I really must be going; I'll see you again soon." Lilia gave him a curtsy as she adjusted the straps on her pack. "Gods Blessings on you and your fair city."

"Gods Blessings on you." Janus gave her a polite bow and she could see he was grinning again; he really found it amusing when she was polite to him. Walking down the hallway and out into the moonlit courtyard Lilia smiled to herself. Jauffre had wanted her to get allies; he should have been careful what he wished for. Because she was turning out to be remarkably good at gathering allies, though she had the feeling that the Grandmaster perhaps wouldn't fully approve of them all. She hummed softly to herself as she made her way back towards the stables on the west side of the city, revelling in the Breton's potential unhappiness the entire way.


	89. Chapter 89: Legendary

"Don't make me drag you back to your room. If you don't put that away and get to bed she'll kill me, and then she'll kill you. And then Jauffre would kill her. Though he probably wouldn't mind that too much." Baurus was standing beside his left elbow and Martin frowned up at him. He was so close to deciphering the second item. Now would not be a good time to stop working. It was never a good time to stop working.

"Just give me a minute to finish this passage. You might want to put these back; I don't think Jauffre would like it if we left them out overnight." He indicated the pile of books stacked on the table in front of him. They hadn't proven to be any more help than the copy of _On Oblivion_ that he was currently skimming.

He'd been so excited when he'd solved the first puzzle; he needed the blood of a Daedric Prince for the ritual to open a portal to Paradise. Though his exultation had been short lived when he'd realized that there weren't many Daedric Princes roaming around Tamriel that would volunteer the use of their blood. Martin wasn't even sure if they actually had blood.

The new riddle had caused him to set up his work area in the library of Cloud Ruler Temple. Baurus and Jauffre had both offered to aid him; the books in the library were in languages that they could actually read. Between the three of them they'd gone through what felt like half of the titles on the shelves before Jauffre had left to attend to Blades business. It hadn't been until Martin started looking through a copy of _Modern Heretics_ that he'd realized that he could use a daedric artifact instead of actual blood for the ritual.

Encouraged by this success he'd redoubled his efforts to translate the other puzzles in the _Mysterium Xarxes_. While he could read the daedric script without problems what was written within made no sense; that was what he needed to decipher. If only he could figure out what _tinder of Anu_ referred to. It hadn't been in any of the books that he'd looked through in the library.

"_The Real Barenziah Volume 2_." Baurus read the title off with a smile. He flipped it open and smiled wider. "And it's the uncensored version. What were you looking for in here?"

"Information on daedra. I thought it had something in there but it doesn't." Martin replied while trying not to sigh. It had been very difficult to concentrate with the Blade around. To his surprise he found himself actually missing the presence of his demanding steward. While she interrupted him with orders to eat and sleep she was very good at keeping quiet and still as he worked. He'd come to realize just how stealthy she could be as she moved about barefoot in his room; Baurus sounded like a clumsy minotaur by comparison. And unlike Baurus Lilia never coughed or sniffled while he was in the middle of a thought.

"You'll probably get to speak with her one day. She's the most amazing Queen I've ever met." Baurus said as he placed the stack of books on an empty shelf. Martin was sure that wasn't where they came from but he found himself too tired to care. Maybe sleep would be a good idea.

"You met Queen Barenziah?" He asked. The import of Baurus' words reminded him of the fact that he was supposed to rule Tamriel as its Emperor someday soon. As soon as he finished deciphering the book. He discreetly pushed his notes to the side; perhaps there wasn't so much of a need to keep working after all.

"Years ago, shortly after I completed my Blades training. I was assigned as her bodyguard during her stay in the Imperial City; she was on her way back to Morrowind after the death of King Eadwyre. I will never forget her."

"What was she like?"

"Honestly, I'm not sure." Baurus answered as he sat down at the table.

"You're not sure? I thought you met her." Martin wondered if perhaps the Redguard didn't need some sleep; he didn't seem to be making much sense.

"I spent three days guarding her and I learnt that I had no idea what she was really like. But she was incredible, I can tell you that much. I was assigned to stand guard in the room as she met with various members of the Elder Council to discuss political matters and conduct negotiations on behalf of her son, King Helseth. During the first day I noticed that she was never the same way twice. Depending on the visitor she could be charming, scolding, subtle, angry, meek, or seductive. Watching her I actually thought that she was a bit mad.

The second day she greeted me and asked if I'd enjoyed yesterday's performance. Not understanding her I simply agreed; she seemed satisfied with my answer. During that day's round of dignitaries she actually told me how she would behave before the herald returned with the next visitor. She'd say 'gullible' and proceed to act completely naïve, or she'd say 'dominant' and behave in a very forceful fashion. The strange thing is that her guests always responded well to whatever it was she did.

On the third day I was looking forward to seeing just what she would do next. My favourite was when she said 'crazy.' I'm still not sure how she managed it but she actually convinced the Bosmer dignitary to sign a beneficial trade agreement for Morrowind while pretending to be completely out of her mind. And the mer simply adored her for it." Baurus chuckled at the remembrance before continuing. "At the end of that day to my surprise she actually invited me to take a seat across from her. At first I thought she was attracted to me; it happens all the time. One of the reasons that I rarely work as a bodyguard; too many complications." Baurus shook his head before continuing.

"Barenziah complimented me on my discretion; apparently I'd been the first Blade not to ask her why she acted so oddly during one of her visits. Then she asked me if I knew why she'd pretended to be so many different things to so many different people. I answered that I thought it was because she was a skilled politician. She laughed at my reply. Her explanation was something I'll always remember. She told me that there were three forms of power that a person could be both blessed and cursed with. Wealth, fame, and beauty. If you had any one of them then you were doomed to a life where people would judge you and where you could never trust anyone's motives. According to her she merely acted with each member as they'd expected her to act; she played their own preconceptions against them.

Continuing on she spoke of the pitfalls of those attributes. She asked me how a beautiful woman could try to make a man fall in love with her. I answered that she'd merely need to flirt with him. To my surprise Barenziah laughed again. As she pointed out that wouldn't work; while such a strategy would work for seduction it did nothing to ensure that love would remain after beauty faded. The same held true for wealthy and famous people; they were attractive in a way that they could never trust that their lovers weren't after them only for their unique forms of power over others, rather than for themselves."

"Did she ever tell you how a beautiful woman would try to make a man fall in love with her?" Martin asked. He was very curious to know the answer to that riddle. The Dunmer queen probably knew what she was talking about; according to all accounts she'd been beautiful, famous, and rich in her youth. While she was still famous and rich she was also centuries old; the gossip was now that one could merely see that she had once been beautiful.

"Yes. She told me that the woman would act naturally around him. Before she dismissed me she told me that she hoped one day a powerful woman would be completely open and honest with me." Baurus sighed loudly and gave Martin a happy grin and a wink. "Speaking of powerful women you'd better go to bed before Lilia gets back. I've already let you stay up far too late."

Martin snorted softly as he stood up from his chair. His vampire steward, a powerful woman? From all of the stories she'd told him about how she'd defeated the King of Worms, closed the gate at Kvatch, and helped in the raid of the Blackwood Company he'd come to realize that she wasn't particularly powerful at all. He'd known far more skilled mages and warriors than her.

"You don't agree?" Baurus asked as he stepped towards the door to the hallway. "She may not be rich but she certainly is famous. I doubt there's a person in Cyrodiil who hasn't heard of her by this point; I'd wager she's probably as renowned as you are."

"Fame doesn't make a person powerful." Martin answered as he walked along the narrow papered hall.

"Hmph. You'll find you're wrong about that soon enough. What do you think the Empire is anyway? It isn't something that you can touch or see; it's based entirely on the common opinion of the people that they are a part of it. If you think that fame and influence over the citizens aren't forms of power you'll never last as an Emperor." The Blade was lecturing Martin and he found himself agreeing with the wisdom behind the man's words.

"You're probably right about the power of fame. But what can Lilia do with hers?"

"She might just surprise you." Baurus gave Martin another wink. "She is a rather remarkable woman, don't you think? So very open and honest too."

As he unlocked his door Martin glanced back at the grinning Redguard. He was starting to suspect that the Blade was attracted to Lilia, and that Baurus thought she felt the same way in return. The unsuspecting man didn't even know she was a vampire; Lilia certainly hadn't shared any of her secrets with him like she had with Martin. He felt rather sorry for Baurus; he couldn't imagine what his strange steward would do to the man if she actually was in love with the Redguard. He knew just how oddly she behaved around him and she was just a friend. Poor Baurus.

* * *

The sign of the Thief was visible high above in the night sky. Lilia kept her eyes on it as she walked towards the entrance to Anvil. The Oblivion gate on the west side of the road wasn't even smouldering anymore; it must have been closed for hours already. She would have to go thank whoever had done the job for her; wandering through Oblivion was slowly edging out fighting with mortals for top spot on her list of least favourite activities.

"Lilia? Is that you?" The mer's voice sounded vaguely familiar but she couldn't place it. "It's me. Merandil. From Kvatch."

"Merandil!" She happily greeted the Altmer as he stepped out from the shadows. She'd already seen Jesan Relian and Berich Inian at Leyawiin and Bravil. "Did the Arcane University scholars close the gate for you?"

"No, it was closed long before they got here. Carahil took care of it soon after it opened." The mer pointed at the distant wreckage. "I'm glad I found you; the Count wants to see you right away."

"The Count? But it's the middle of the night; I can wait until morning." Lilia didn't want to wake Corvus up to speak with him; she couldn't imagine a grumpy pompous ass would be any easier to deal with than the regular variety.

"I think he's still awake; he's been waiting for you to get here. Come, I'll take you to him."

As they walked through the deserted streets Merandil told her all about the defence of Anvil and the closing of the gate. He was rather impressed with Carahil's courage; she'd gone into the gate while daedra were still coming out. Lilia was just as impressed. Her admiration for the guild hall leader increased even further.

Walking through the courtyard of Castle Anvil Lilia glanced with her mind through the walls of the barracks to the sleeping figure in the Captain of the Guard's room. She sincerely hoped that Hieronymus still had his ring and that Corvus hadn't treated him poorly. While she wasn't sure just what she would do about the situation she wasn't about to let the Imperial get doomed to another round of humiliation at the hands of Count Umbranox. The thought of visiting Captain Lex after speaking with the Count caused her to snicker to herself; she certainly wouldn't be breaking into his room again any time soon. From what she'd learnt the man preferred to sleep without the constraints of clothing.

Merandil deposited her in the empty throne room with instructions not to go anywhere. Looking around she could see no real changes since the last time she'd been here. Millona's distinctly feminine decorating style was still in evidence. Yards of fine lace formed a canopy over the thrones. The only alteration to the room was the addition of several bouquets of fresh flowers, more than were considered proper were placed around the space. The scent was rather overwhelming for Lilia's nose. She'd never cared for the fragrance of Viper's Bugloss; it was always too strong for her tastes.

"Took you long enough. Come with me." Turning around Lilia discovered the Count of Anvil motioning for her to join him in the far hallway. She wondered if Janus had ever dealt with the man; she couldn't imagine the vampire being very impressed with the former head of the Thieves Guild's manners.

Methredhel had told her that the Grey Fox had suddenly decided to retire and had named Armand as his successor; the mer had said that she was as bewildered as the rest of the guild as to his sudden announcement. Ever since then the Bretguard had been working tirelessly to resolve unfinished guild business. Apparently Corvus hadn't been much for administrative minutiae. Lilia wasn't surprised.

Following behind him Lilia noticed that they were walking through the empty armoury; the blacksmith's fire had been put out for the night. Corvus turned to the right and led her down a small hallway that went nowhere. To her surprise the Count pushed a stone on the wall causing a small section to slide away. Without even bothering to wave for her to follow him he stepped through. As Lilia walked into the opening she saw him push in the brick on the other side of the wall; the secret passage disappeared once more. Without a word he stalked off and she followed him down the dusty corridor to an old wooden door set in the rough brick wall. He unlocked it with a key and she followed him inside.

Lilia had no idea how long the hidden room had been around but she was sure it had been an original part of the castle. While the furniture wasn't nearly as ancient as the walls it looked as though it was. An old faded sofa and two aged leather chairs sat atop a moth eaten rug. The dark wood floors showed through the bare patches. A red bottle stood uncapped on a small table between the chairs; it was half empty. The Count motioned for her to sit and she chose one of the leather armchairs; Lilia wasn't sure just how much dust she'd unleash if she sat on the sofa. As it was a small cloud escaped from the leather cushions underneath her.

"Count Umbranox, I thank you for your gracious hospitality…" Even if he didn't seem too concerned with formality Lilia felt she should at least make the effort to greet him properly. She was supposed to be the Emperor's steward.

"Spare the pleasantries. You need my help and I need yours. Let's get straight to business, we can speak freely here." He was studying her with those unusual eyes of his as he sat down in the other chair.

"I haven't come for my own reasons. The Count and Countess of Bruma…"

"Are living happily ever after, aren't they?" Lilia was surprised by the bitterness in his voice. "True love, such a precious gift."

"They're doing quite well. But they need your help…"

"My help? Ha. I doubt I could help the two lovebirds even if I wanted to." Corvus muttered darkly at the empty sofa. She decided not to say anything further; the man was clearly out of sorts and slightly intoxicated. She was now trying to think of a way to leave and return later when he was in a better frame of mind. She doubted she'd get much out of him in his current state. Noticing her silence he smirked.

"I'm sure you've heard the rumours. Thanks to your help I've returned after eleven years to once more rule beside my beloved Countess. But instead of a happy ending I find myself in a nightmare. Millona hates me." He looked down at a bare spot in the rug; Lilia felt a bit sorry for him. He appeared rather upset at the whole situation.

"I'm sure she doesn't hate you. She did wait for you; surely she still loves you." Lilia was impressed that the Countess had never remarried despite Corvus' long absence. She wasn't sure if she'd be capable of such devotion herself. Eleven years was a very long time to wait.

"She thought she did. She says she isn't sure anymore." He looked back at Lilia. "I don't know what else to do. I've apologized, I've bought her gifts, I've tried to make her happy but she's just so upset all the time. She gets angry with me and then she cries about it. Even when we do get along it ends badly; she'll make a comment about how much she missed me and then everything just goes to the Nine Hells again."

The man was clearly miserable and Lilia felt rather uncomfortable. She wasn't entirely sure what he wanted her to do for him. There was no magic that could mend broken hearts or rekindle love. The Count sighed heavily.

"How do I fix it? I've spent eleven years trying to get back to her, watching her as a perpetual stranger as she held her audiences, trying to keep her safe and happy. I've told her all this but she doesn't seem to hear it."

"You've told her how much you suffered because of your absence? Was that part of your apology?" Lilia was starting to get an idea of just why Millona wasn't adjusting well to Corvus' presence.

"Of course. I made sure to tell her just how unhappy I was without her. She didn't seem to care. Then I tried getting her some of her favourite things, like all of those damn flowers. But nothing is working." The Count had stood back up and was now pacing around the dusty sofa.

"I think I know why that might be." She offered quietly. Corvus stopped walking and stared at her.

"Tell me."

"Because you're behaving like a pompous ass." The Imperial spluttered with indignation at her insult and she quickly held up her hands before continuing. "Think about it. She's spent the last eleven years alone, with no word from you, with nothing in her life except heartache and the responsibilities of ruling your city for you. Suddenly you show up, tell her how hard it was for you, and then try and buy her off with some pretty blossoms. The fact that she's still here tells me that she does still love you, though I can't for the life of me understand why."

"You are the least respectful person I've ever met." He stabbed a finger at her angrily before pulling his hand back and crossing his arms in front of his chest. "But you do seem to know things. Do you really think that's why she's so unhappy?"

"I can't say for sure, but that's probably a big part of it. Until she knows that you truly understand everything that she's been through because of you and that you're truly sorry for it then she'll never get over it. And you need to let her be angry with you, to vent her years of frustration on you until she's gotten it all out of her system. I can't guarantee that it will work but it would probably help. I'm sure it couldn't hurt to try."

"Hmm." The Count sat back down in his chair. "I'll try it. Now what was it that you wanted from me?"

"Are you sure I shouldn't wait for the Countess as well?" Lilia asked. He seemed to have forgotten again that she hadn't come for her own reasons but was here on behalf of the Emperor and the Count and Countess of Bruma.

"This is my city, you don't need her around for me to make a decision." Corvus waved a hand arrogantly and Lilia began to doubt that Millona would ever forgive him. He'd just dismissed the eleven years she'd spent running 'his' city with that small gesture.

"Very well. You want to know what I'm after? Your men." She answered not wanting to risk mentioning Narina and Jorundr; she didn't want him to start muttering again.

"What, did you tire of that Bosmer already?" The Count snickered and Lilia shook her head; she didn't know what he was talking about or why it was so funny.

"Excuse me?"

"What was his name? Trundil? I heard about that one. You're a bit of a legend in these parts now; there aren't many women who are so talented they can set a crazy mer's head straight in a single night."

"Lex." She muttered softly. Lilia cursed the man's cunning plan; her reputation would never be the same again now. At least she knew that what she'd done to Thurindil had worked.

"Hieronymus? You're interested in him?" Corvus scoffed at the idea. "Is that why you've always helped him? Well you're welcome to him if that's what you want, though I can't for the life of me understand why."

"That's rather generous of you, but I need more than just him."

"My, you are something else aren't you? Help yourself, just try to make sure you leave enough men standing to go on patrol." Corvus was studying her again with an amused grin. Lilia smiled back; the Imperial had no idea that he'd just told her to take her pick of Anvil's guards for her own needs. He had no inkling of just what sort of needs she had. Perhaps she would go wake Hieronymus; an opportunity this good rarely came along. Maybe Corvus' arrogant nature could be useful for something after all.


	90. Chapter 90:  Lettuce

"Told you I'd be right back. Martin, how are you? Baurus, did you take care of him like I asked?" Lilia's cheerful voice floated to him from the entrance to the Temple's great hall. Martin closed _Remanada_ and looked up; she was wearing her strange armour and a large grin. The grin fell a bit as she got closer to him; she was scrutinizing his appearance.

"What time did you put him to bed last night?" She demanded of the Blade. Martin sighed; his bossy steward was back and once more discussing him as if he wasn't even in the room.

"Lilia, I'm not a child. I am a fully-grown adult and the future Emperor of Tamriel. I think I can put myself to bed." She turned away from the sheepish Redguard and stared down at Martin.

"Yes, I'm sure you're just as capable of doing that as making sure you don't forget to eat. Tell me, what did you have for lunch today?"

"Whitefish."

"Venison."

Lilia sighed before snickering to herself; both Baurus and Martin had lied at the same time. He realized that he'd not yet asked for his lunch. Judging by the angle of the light that came through the high windows it was already mid afternoon.

"Baurus, why don't you go get him some food? I'll watch him for a while."

"Good idea." Baurus quickly walked out the side door towards the kitchens. At least she hadn't killed anyone; Lilia seemed to be in rather good spirits.

"Were you successful?" He asked.

"More so than I'd hoped. Come, I want to get out of this armour. I'll tell you all about it." She waited for him to stand before heading towards the hallway that led to the living quarters. "Did you get my present?"

"Yes, thank you. But it's not really a present since you bought it in my name. Jauffre isn't happy about it." The Grandmaster had been rather upset at the expensive black stallion that had been delivered early this morning. The Dunmer who'd delivered it had refused to leave without being paid first, when she'd finally received her gold she'd muttered the entire time about cheap Bretons as she'd left the courtyard.

"He's never happy about anything. Where is he? I'm surprised he hasn't sent me for another mission yet. I've already been back five minutes." Lilia said sarcastically as she waited for Martin to unlock his door. He knew she resented being sent out on assignments but so far she'd been the best person for the tasks.

"I think he's in his office in the other wing. Would you mind not trying to break my legs with your armour?" Lilia had begun littering her gloves on the floor as she walked into the room. It was a terrible habit of hers.

"Sorry." The pieces magically flew over to lie neatly on the bed, joined by the helmet and cuirass she tossed on it as she spoke. "Did you have any luck with your work? I think I've actually thought of a way to help you with it, though I won't be doing any of it myself."

"Yes. I've deciphered one of the things that I need and I'm very close to figuring out another." He watched as she kicked her boots off to land haphazardly against the wall. At least they weren't in the middle of the floor.

"I don't suppose the first item is something delightfully simple like a jar of dirt." She asked while standing on one leg. The other one was being held up as she unbuckled her greaves.

"No. It's the blood of a Daedric Prince." He answered wryly.

"The…oof!" Lilia had frozen at his words and then toppled over as she'd tried to look up at him.

"Are you okay?" He asked as she scrambled off the floor.

"The blood of a Daedric Prince?" She was blinking far too rapidly as she asked.

"Don't worry, I don't need the actual blood. A daedric artifact would work just as well. I don't suppose you're carrying any around in that pack of yours, are you?" He joked.

"You'd better sit down." Lilia pointed with her free hand as she wrestled off her left greave with the other one. Martin sat down on the green sofa after pulling out the hidden bag of raisins. While they were somewhat flat they were tasty; he realized just how hungry he was. Lilia tossed the greave onto the bed and walked in front of the opposite sofa. Instead of sitting down she began to pace back and forth.

"Coincidences. Why are there always so many coincidences in my life? But they aren't coincidences. They're the Godsdamned will of the Aedra. Godsdamned Nine and their Godsdamned plans!"

"Lilia…" Martin wasn't sure what had caused this sudden burst of anger. Her voice was getting progressively louder.

"Oh, don't bother me with your concern for their precious Divine ears. What difference does it make if I think it or say it? Because I'm starting to understand just why they've decided to torment me in so many interesting and painful ways. But this, this coincidence, is just too much. I can't believe they'd make me go through all that just so I can give you my Godsdamned staff!"

"Your what?" She wasn't making any sense again. He didn't like it when that happened.

"My staff." Lilia finally stopped pacing and looked at him. "Do you want to know why I laughed when you warned me about the dangers of daedric magic? Do you want to know why I'm going insane? Because of the will of the Godsdamned Divines, that's why."

"Lilia, you aren't making any sense."

"Of course I'm not." She sighed heavily and sat down on the sofa. "Did you ever hear about a strange island that appeared off the coast of Bravil last year?"

"I heard the rumour, but that's all it was, just a rumour. There isn't any island there." He remembered the gossip about an outcropping of rock covered in unusual flora that suddenly came into being in the middle of the Nibenay Basin. But he'd never heard anything else and had forgotten about it until Lilia reminded him.

"There isn't any island there now. There was. And it wasn't just an island; it was a portal."

"An Oblivion gate? Last year outside of Bravil?" She must be having another one of her delusional spells. It was really rather sad; she seemed so sane at other times but obviously something wasn't right with her head.

"Not a gate like the one at Kvatch. A regular portal. And it didn't lead to a plane of Mehrunes Dagon. This one was opened by Sheogorath."

"Why would Sheogorath try to invade Nirn?" Lilia certainly had a vivid imagination. The Madgod would never do something like that; he'd surely be distracted by puffy clouds before he could marshal his troops.

"No, he didn't plan to send anything out of the gate. It was set up for people to enter his realm. I know you don't believe anything that I tell you, and I'm sure you won't believe this either. But I went through that gate at the urging of the Nine. I'd just destroyed the Night Mother and had prayed to Stendarr for guidance. They pushed me into the realm of the Daedric Prince of Madness. And I found myself in the Shivering Isles with no way out.

I'm not going to discuss what happened in there or the things that I saw and did. I'll just say that I'm sure it was worse than you could imagine. That's where I found the Adventurer's Pack. And that's where I met Sheogorath and became his champion. And then, well, and then you won't believe what happened. I didn't want to until the night before I met you, but there's no question in my mind anymore." Lilia's voice had faded into almost a whisper. Martin leant forward to hear her better, whatever delusions she had they obviously plagued her greatly.

"I freed Sheogorath from his curse and took his place. I am Sheogorath. I am the Madgod, Daedric Prince of Insanity." She was staring at him again, no longer blinking. Martin didn't know how he was supposed to react. While she might be crazy because of the Daedric Prince she couldn't possibly be one.

"You don't believe me. I was sure you wouldn't. That's fine. But here's my staff; I'd like you to use it in your ritual." To Martin's astonishment a long wooden staff appeared in the air between them; it was as if it just popped into existence. Grabbing hold of it he could feel concentrated daedric magic running through it; it certainly qualified as a daedric artifact. It didn't match the description of the Wabbajack though, this was something different. To his displeasure he noted that the white orb on the end looked suspiciously like an eyeball.

"I imagine it will be destroyed in the ritual and I sincerely hope that ends my curse with it. It's all I have left of my power; I released the souls under my influence, collapsed my realm, and have destroyed every artifact I had on Nirn. While I can't leave Cyrodiil I have managed to remove any curses within the province I had in place as well. Since you're on better terms with them than I am I'd like you to pray to the Nine for me so that perhaps I may stay sane long enough for you to destroy it. I can't do it myself; my daedric magics won't work on my source of power." Once she finished talking Lilia covered her face with her hands and collapsed back against the cushions. When the small sob escaped her he put the staff on the table and quickly moved across to sit beside her. The poor woman, she truly believed that she was a Daedric Prince and that it was because of will of the Nine.

"Why don't we pray together?" He asked quietly as he softly grabbed the closest cold wrist, intending to gently pry it away from her face. To his surprise Lilia sprang off the sofa and ran to the bathroom, mumbling out apologies the entire way. He felt the magic in the air around him disappear and then he couldn't hear her anymore; he was sure she'd silenced herself in there. Martin sighed as he sat alone in the middle of his room. Looking at the staff he found his appetite lessening.

The orb at the top was indeed an eyeball and it was staring right at him.

* * *

"Yes, I'm quite sure that we are expected. Will you please fetch the Emperor's steward? She'll clear everything up." Fathis called up to the akaviri clad Blade on top of the high wall. The gates to Cloud Ruler Temple were still firmly shut in front of them.

"I told you we should have waited for her invitation." Janus muttered at the mer. He'd bumped into Fathis after his audience with Countess Carvain and Count Jorundr. The Dunmer had been visiting with the Court Wizard of Bruma and they'd met each other in the entrance hall of the Castle. The Dark Elf had insisted that they go straight up to the headquarters of the Blades to visit Martin; he'd heard that Lilia had already returned from her visits to the other cities. He'd been quite adamant that she wanted the Telvanni to meet the Emperor as soon as possible.

"And I told you that I don't need one. Maybe you do, but I don't." The mer was giving him another one of his contented Telvanni smiles. Janus sighed and caught a faint dusty scent on the air.

"It's okay, I've got the gate." Lilia's voice called up the Blades above her. One of the massive wooden doors swung open and her head peeked out. "You both made excellent time. Come in, Martin has just finished lunch but I think I can convince him that it's time for tea."

"Tea would be lovely. Did you receive my shipment?" Janus said to her as he walked past her and into the large courtyard of Cloud Ruler Temple. According to scholars the fortress was constructed in the beginning of the second era by the Akaviri soldiers of Reman Cyrodiil. If that was true then the Blades certainly did a good job of maintaining it; it didn't show any signs of age.

"Yes, thank you. How did you know that I was so fond of sweetrolls?" Lilia nodded at Fathis as he entered while answering Janus' question. She pulled the gate closed behind them and Janus noted that she wasn't armoured, wasn't wearing any socks under her doeskin shoes, and appeared to have a flock of sheep on her green robe. It was yet another new look for her.

"Salmo told Hal-Liurz about your standing order and she shared the gossip with me. I thought you might like some fresh ones."

"Yes, thank you. I'm afraid I don't have any Argonian tea to offer though. When I placed my order with Thoronir I hadn't expected that Martin would have to do so much entertaining, all I have is an Elsweyran blend from Ein Miervale. He's in the great hall, we'll get settled in there. Wait until you see the fireplace; you could roast an ogre in it. Though I don't think anyone would eat it if you did." Lilia chatted at them as she led them up the stairs and towards the main entrance of the wood and stone structure. The style was unlike anything Janus had ever seen; while he was familiar with Cyrodiliic and Ayleid architecture he'd never stood in front of an Akaviri building before. Stylistically it was similar to their weapons and armours; they favoured the use of a gentle curve and rectangular patterns. He found it very simple and yet formal. It was rather fitting to be the headquarters of the Blades.

The great hall was great indeed; it was large enough to hold several long tables and the fireplace was one of the biggest he'd ever seen. A collection of Akaviri katanas were suspended from an upper balcony that ran around the room. Janus didn't spend too much time looking about; instead he was discreetly studying the Imperial walking towards them. Lilia was right; there was no question that he was Uriel's son. The eyes were unmistakeable.

"It is my pleasure to present to you Fathis Aren, Court Wizard of Bravil and Count Janus Hassildor of Skingrad." Lilia announced the vampire and the Telvanni with a flourish of her arms. Janus bowed politely and noticed the mer do the same.

"I present to you Martin Septim, heir presumptive of the Imperial throne." Lilia waved grandly at the future Emperor. He appeared somewhat uncomfortable as he nodded at the two of them. Janus didn't doubt that he'd need a lot of instruction in the finer points of political and court life. The priesthood wasn't renowned for preparing one for such things.

"You're back and you failed to inform me of your return. And who are these people?" A Breton with pale blue eyes came in from a side door; he didn't appear very happy with Lilia.

"I present Jauffre, Grandmaster of the Blades." Lilia spoke the words quickly, quietly, and without flourish. Janus noticed the change.

"This is Fathis Aren, Court Wizard of Bravil and Count Janus Hassildor of Skingrad." Martin answered Jauffre's question. The Grandmaster went white as he looked at Count Hassildor; obviously he'd heard of Janus' unique nature before.

"I am very sorry but I will have to ask you to leave. I'm sure you understand." Jauffre spoke politely to Janus. The Count sighed and nodded slightly. He wasn't about to force his presence on the Grandmaster of the Blades.

"He might but I don't." Martin interjected. The subtle shift of magic in the air let Janus know that Lilia had coated the walls with a silence spell. Glancing around he noted that there was nobody else in the great hall; Martin was the only person in the room that didn't understand Jauffre's request.

"It's because I'm a vampire." Janus helpfully informed him. He was sure that Jauffre wouldn't hesitate to warn the future Emperor about the undead Count of Skingrad after he left the Temple. He always found it much easier to answer questions and deal with the complications of his condition in person rather than after the fact.

"Oh. I still don't understand why you can't stay. After all you've come to drink tea, not my blood." At Martin's words Janus noted Jauffre's and Fathis' faces assume a shocked expression. Lilia's face looked remarkably relaxed. He merely arched an eyebrow in response to the comment. This was most unusual; Martin's body hadn't betrayed any signs of fear, anger, or surprise at the news.

"That's very open-minded of you." Fathis added.

"Martin…" The Grandmaster had stepped over to whisper in his ear.

"Jauffre, I am not about to send him away just because he's a vampire. I somehow doubt that's posed much of a problem; he has been a Count for decades now. I don't think he's about to start biting people in the midst of polite company." Martin whispered back. Janus noted Lilia turn her face to look at the far corner of the room, he was sure she was trying not to laugh. He was glad that she wasn't looking at him; he was having enough trouble restraining his own mirth. He'd never heard reasoning quite like that before.

"My apologies Count Hassildor. The Blades are honoured with your presence." The Grandmaster nodded politely at him before moving off to go sit at a table in the corner of the room. He was sure the Blade wouldn't leave Martin alone with a Telvanni and a vampire. Two vampires, actually, but Jauffre surely didn't know about one of them.

"Please, have a seat." Lilia motioned towards the chairs by the roaring fire. It was a very impressive blaze; perhaps he should have his own fireplace enlarged in his apartments. It would be nice to watch such massive flames for a change. "I will quickly go and fetch the tea."

"Allow me to help you." Janus offered.

"Thank you but that's really not necessary." She was waving for him to sit down with the other two. He had no intention of doing so; he had a couple of questions for the Emperor's steward. She'd certainly left a few things out when she'd told him about life at Cloud Ruler Temple.

"I insist." He noticed that Martin and Fathis were both watching them curiously.

"Nonsense. You're my guest for once, please let me do the honours." Lilia smiled graciously at him but he noticed that her eyes had narrowed slightly in annoyance.

"And as your guest you should be more accommodating of my wishes. I will help you with the tea." He could see Fathis' lips twitching, he was sure the mer wanted to laugh at the strange exchange.

"Fine. We'll be right back." She started stalking off towards a door before suddenly stopping and giving Janus a large smile. "Count Hassildor, would you please follow me?"

Now he had to resist the urge to laugh; she was obviously torn between her need to appear polite in front of the future Emperor and her desire to be rude to him. As he followed along behind her he caught Fathis' voice as he spoke to Martin.

"So tell me more about this _Mysterium Xarxes_ you're studying."

Lilia led Janus through a couple of narrow hallways to a solid looking metal door. She pulled out a key and unlocked it. Stepping into the space behind her he was rather surprised with how luxurious her quarters were. He noted her armour haphazardly placed on the bed. There was a shirt on a sofa and a puddle of pants in the middle of the floor. He coated the walls with silencing magic.

"The cups are in the lower desk drawer on the right side." She pointed at the desk beside him as she pulled open the door to one of the wardrobes. Lilia began rummaging around the bottom; oranges were floating through the air to land on an empty tray on the low table between the sofas.

"I'm not actually here to help you prepare tea. How long has he known?"

"Known what?" She sounded far too unconcerned by his question as she abandoned the wardrobe and headed towards the other one.

"That you're a vampire." He stated while Lilia pulled out a box of pastries from inside a surprisingly large old shirt. She turned around to face him and sighed.

"Almost the entire time. I had to tell him. He would have figured it out sooner or later." She tossed the box over to the sofa; it landed on a cushion and bounced off onto the floor. Waving her hand idly she brought it up magically to rest on the table.

"And why would he have figured it out when nobody else has?" Janus asked.

"Because I don't sleep. I think he'd notice that I stayed up all night every night." Lilia replied as she yanked open the desk drawer with magicka and began floating out the teacups.

"This isn't your room, is it? You and Martin aren't…" He'd noticed that while her possessions were scattered around the room the wardrobes had contained predominantly men's clothing. He could also smell that a mortal spent a lot of time in here.

"No. Gods no. I stay up all night guarding him." Lilia's voice was icy cold as she answered.

"Guarding him from what? The Blades?"

"From everyone and anyone. The Blades, the Mythic Dawn, the Morag Tong, the Knights of the Lamp, the Priestesses of Dibella. I guard him from anyone that might even think of trying to assassinate him in his sleep." Lilia answered as she moved into the bathroom. She returned with a teapot; he wondered where she'd hidden it.

"And how did you end up in the Emperor's bedroom to guard him in the first place?" She sighed at the question as she placed the teapot on the tray.

"You know, it's very understandable that you're thinking along these lines. You're a bachelor again, you're feeding more frequently, and you're once more socializing with mortals. But just because you can't get your mind off of…"

"Lilia!" He wasn't sure whether to laugh or be offended.

"Look, just find yourself a nice lady and have some fun. It'll make you feel a lot better." She gave him a patronizing smile and a wink. Janus couldn't believe that she was talking like this.

"My love life, or lack thereof, is not up for discussion." He replied dryly.

"Good. Then neither is mine. Do you think anyone would want any mutton jerky? It has a delightful Khajiiti spice blend."

"No, I'm sure the fruit and pastries will be enough to feed the mortals. Speaking of which who are you feeding on if you spend all of your nights here in this room?"

"You don't miss a thing, do you?" Lilia muttered as she shook her head. "I'm not feeding on anyone. Why do you think I'm not sleeping?"

"When was the last time you fed?" He was a little concerned to hear that a thirsty vampire was guarding the future Emperor of Tamriel.

"When was the last time Kvatch was a city?" Janus frowned; that had been days ago. Going for so long without feeding would be very dangerous for such a young vampire unless she was used to extended periods without fresh blood. "Don't look at me like that. Martin is perfectly safe around me; I would never bite him. Though I have wondered what he'd taste like. Do you think the Divine blood of kings would taste any different?"

"You wonder about such things?" He asked as he realized she was trying to lighten the mood as she peeled the oranges and arranged the tray. Janus decided to play along. "I've never thought about what an Emperor would taste like. Personally I've always wondered about what flavour a vampire would be."

"Ugh. Awful. They taste like lettuce that's been coated with rusty dirt and then left to ferment and moulder in the sun for a few weeks." Lilia stuck out her tongue. "I refuse to touch lettuce anymore partly for that reason."

"And just how do you know that?" He asked with amusement. While he'd never admit it he'd once bitten himself in curiosity; his blood hadn't tasted like anything in particular but he thought that was probably because it was his own. It sounded as though she'd bitten a vampire other than herself.

"It was a very short lived experiment. I'll not go into it." Janus recognized her tone; she was closing the subject. The knock on the door surprised him; turning around he saw Martin open it.

"Is everything alright?" He asked Lilia with concern. She stood up with the tray and gave him a warm smile in response.

"Everything is perfectly fine, thank you. We should get back to the main hall though; I don't know if leaving Fathis alone with Jauffre is a very good idea. He hasn't created any atronachs yet, has he? Because I don't think the Grandmaster would like that very much."

To Janus' amusement the future Emperor of Tamriel looked a bit sheepish as he answered. "Well, just a small one…"


	91. Chapter 91: Ancient History

The Dark Elf beside him had collapsed in mirth and Martin was having a hard time staying in his seat as he also laughed at the ridiculous sight. The miniature one armed frost atronach on the table was doing an extravagant victory dance; Lilia's tiny elemental had defeated Fathis' after a very intense battle on the dining room table of the Blades. 

Fathis had insisted on a break; they'd been working since dinner and the mer had begun to complain that so much concentration was terrible for the imagination. They'd adjourned to the dining room for a glass of Cyrodiliic brandy and the match had come about as a result of Martin's inquiries into how he could learn to make, rather than summon, an atronach.

The Telvanni was turning out to be very helpful; the mer had a lot of knowledge from his centuries of study and had been able to correct Martin's analysis of certain portions of the book. But both of them were still stumped on the second item needed for the ritual. Fathis had sent off a magical inquiry to Tar-Meena asking her to check for _tinder of Anu_ in the Arcane University and had then insisted on a rest. Martin was sure that Lilia approved of the Dunmer's methods; she was always nagging him to take breaks.

"What is that on the table?" Jauffre didn't sound very happy when he walked into the room. Glancing at him Martin found the humour of the situation evaporating; the Grandmaster was clutching a few sheets of parchment so tightly that his knuckles were white and the vein in his forehead was throbbing again. While he knew the Breton liked to have things in order Martin wasn't sure why he was so upset about some moisture; Lilia and Fathis had made sure to use only frost atronachs for their battle.

"Water." Lilia gave Jauffre one of her large fake smiles as she dismissed her temporary elemental. She was currently seated in the Grandmaster's usual chair at the other end of the table.

"We need to talk. Come." He pointed at her with the parchments.

"No. I'm not going anywhere with you." Lilia's reply was ridiculously light and happy; Martin realized that she used her insincere smiles and too chipper tones to needle the Breton. He wasn't sure what he could do about it to make her stop. It wasn't as if she was actively being rude to the man. The relationship between the two of them certainly hadn't improved.

"Very well. I didn't want to discuss this in front of anyone else but if that is what you wish then I have no choice. I think we need to talk about just what powers a steward does and does not have as you seem to be rather confused about the concept." Jauffre's voice was distinctly frosty.

"Oh, that's probably not necessary. I'm fairly sure I understand the role perfectly well."

"No, you don't. You do not have the authority to have done this." He held out the top sheet of parchment from the stack. Lilia leant forward to look at it and then sat back with a chuckle.

"I didn't do that in Martin's name, I did it in yours. You did ask me to secure aid for Bruma after all." She answered airily.

"In that case I'll cancel it. The Blades will not pay for mercenaries." A small smile appeared on Jauffre's lips. Lilia's calm façade dissolved.

"Don't you dare. Are you trying to get him killed?" She'd jumped out of her chair and was now yelling at the Grandmaster. "Martin, order him not to do it."

"Will you tell me what he's not to do first?" Martin asked; he didn't know what either of them was talking about.

"She's hired the Fighters Guild to work for you." The Breton answered as he walked over with the parchment.

"I don't see the problem with a few extra warriors…"

"Not a few warriors, she's hired the whole provincial guild." Jauffre thrust the parchments into Martin's hand and he had to look twice to confirm that the rather large number he saw written on it was in fact correct. He doubted he'd had that many septims pass through his hands during his entire life.

"Modryn is giving us an excellent rate. That price is for their aid for as long as it takes. He's throwing in his own skills for free." Lilia explained to him quietly from the other end of the table. She then started ranting at Jauffre. "Are you so cheap that you'd risk the life of the Emperor and the entire town of Bruma because you don't want to part with his septims? Do you want another Kvatch to happen?"

Looking over to Jauffre Martin noticed that the man's jaw was flexing; it looked as though he was grinding his teeth. As much as he was surprised at the sum he had to agree with Lilia; they needed to do everything in their power to prevent the destruction of another city. But he was confused by her talk of 'his' money. "What do you mean by my septims?"

"You're the Emperor, they're your Blades. While you don't have access to the Imperial treasury yet the money that he's squirreled away is rightfully yours to use as you wish. Isn't that right Jauffre?" Lilia gave the Breton another one of her too large smiles.

"Would this empty the coffers?" Martin asked the Grandmaster.

"No. But it's a waste of resources, there's only…"

"I don't ever want to hear you say that again. I'll spend every piece of gold we have if it will prevent what happened at Kvatch from happening here. You weren't there; you have no idea what you're talking about." Martin stared up at the Breton's pale blue eyes as he spoke. Memories of the destruction of his home still plagued him; he doubted they'd ever stop doing so.

"Of course. But I feel I must warn you that her counsel may not always be the wisest. I understand that your feelings for her influence your judgment…"

"My what?" Martin asked rapidly. He noticed that Lilia was standing very still and blinking very quickly.

"I've not said anything before about your affair but I've seen this happen several times with your father. It's very easy to lose perspective when you're held captive by a woman's charms," Jauffre sneered a little at the word, "but raising her above her merits never works out well."

Martin closed his eyes and sighed heavily. He'd been worried that the Blades would jump to the wrong conclusion about Lilia's constant presence in his chambers but he'd never noticed any glances, comments, or whispers and had assumed that it wasn't an issue. But then if they'd once worked for Emperor Uriel…

"Above my merits?" Lilia's angry voice caused him to open his eyes again.

"We aren't having an affair." He said quietly to Jauffre. The Breton didn't really seem to hear; he was staring back at the furious vampire.

"Yes. You're completely unqualified for your position. I don't know how you managed to convince the nobility to be so generous with their aid but I'm sure it wasn't because of your tact and diplomacy skills. But then that's how it's been with all of your promotions, hasn't it? I'm sure you've not earned any of them." Martin wasn't happy to notice Jauffre's too wide grin as he answered Lilia.

The loud growl and the crash of the chair against the wall caused Martin to flinch. He'd never seen Lilia like this. She was incredibly angry and rather frightening. Currently her whole body was covered in magical flames.

"How dare you accuse me of being incompetent. I'm not the one who lost the amulet. I'm not the one who let Martin rot in Kvatch for a year. If I thought I had any influence over the man I'd have him dismiss you from your post and execute you for treason." Lilia hissed as she held out her hand. Jauffre was no longer standing beside Martin; he was now pinned against the back wall with telekinesis magic.

"Lilia! That's enough!" Martin shouted at her as he stood up. He wasn't concerned that she was about to kill Jauffre, though she looked murderous enough to do so, but he was worried about her mental state. After she'd emerged from the bathroom earlier today she'd acted cheerful and had refused to discuss her claims of being a Daedric Prince any further. He hadn't had much of an opportunity to question her though; Baurus had arrived with lunch and Lilia had insisted that the Redguard stay with them. Since then he'd not had a moment alone with her; the tea with Count Hassildor and Fathis had happened soon after he'd eaten his meal. When she'd disappeared for so long with the Count of Skingrad he'd become concerned that she'd had another episode and had been relieved to discover that she'd merely been chatting with the vampire. After that Fathis hadn't left Cloud Ruler Temple; the mer had been rather amused by Lilia's performance at dinner when she'd stabbed, sniffed, and tasted Martin's food.

"I'm sorry." She whispered to Martin as she dropped the Grandmaster with a thud. Without another word she walked quickly out of the room.

"I rather liked that chair." The Breton murmured mournfully as he stood up; the chair Lilia had thrown was now smashed into pieces on the floor. He walked back over to the table and picked up the parchments in front of Martin while bowing stiffly. "I shall pay this as ordered. Good evening gentlemen."

Martin watched the Breton as he walked calmly from the room; the man didn't seem at all distressed by what had just happened. He didn't know what he could do to make things better between them. He was starting to doubt that anything could make them get along; Lilia had just admitted that she thought the Breton was a traitorous fool and Jauffre had essentially called her a talentless whore.

"They don't like each other very much, do they?" Fathis asked quietly; the mer had been forgotten about during the excitement. Martin snickered; the question was so unnecessary as to be absurd.

"No, I don't think that they do."

* * *

The copy of _The Firmament_ floated off from its resting place on the corner of the table. Martin could resist the urge to watch no longer and turned around in his chair. Fathis had been staring ever since _Lost Histories of Tamriel_ had been removed. 

Lilia was sitting on a sofa beside the large fireplace. She wasn't looking at them; she was staring at the books as she magically wove them around in complicated patterns in the air. She was currently performing a rotating figure eight formation with the books crisscrossing in front of each other. He'd caught her floating things around in his chambers before but normally she didn't do anything involving quite so many objects. Usually she just sent quills zooming around the room though he had seen her juggling sweetrolls with her telekinesis spell once.

"Can I have my copy of _The Firmament_ back?" Martin asked. Lilia gasped with surprise before she magically stacked the books and sent them over to the table. She could get so lost in thought sometimes, he was sure she didn't quite realize what she was doing with his possessions as she floated them around his quarters. It was rather amusing; she was the one who accused him of focussing too deeply.

She'd calmed down again. Baurus had appeared in the dining room soon after Jauffre's departure and had explained that she'd sent him to watch Martin for a while. He felt like a small child with all of this talk of being watched; it was as if Baurus and Lilia were his nannies. According to Baurus she'd gone out to the courtyard, from what he'd learnt later she'd spent almost an hour staring up at the stars before she'd returned to Fathis and Martin. By that point they'd moved to the great hall; Fathis had suggested that a change of scenery would perhaps help them. Martin wasn't sure if that had been the reason or if the mer had been growing uncomfortable with the constant presence of a bodyguard in the small library.

At least in the great hall it was easier to ignore Baurus and Lilia; the Redguard had been watching the unusual magic performance from his place at a nearby table. She'd distracted him from his copy of _The Real Barenziah Volume 2_. The Blade had taken it from the library for his own perusal as he'd helped Fathis and Martin carry out their books.

"Sorry about that." She said sheepishly. "Would you like some tea?"

"No thank you." He answered.

"I'll take one if you pour it with telekinesis." Fathis said; the Dunmer had been rather amused by her performance.

"Of course." Lilia magically started raising the teapot up in the air.

"There's someone here to see the Emperor." Caroline announced as she stepped in from the courtyard. The Blade's gaze quickly focussed on the floating crockery.

"Who is it?" Martin asked. It was rather late for a visit.

"He says his name is Wulfgar Half-Man." She responded.

The sound of shattering porcelain caused Martin to turn around again. Lilia had dropped the teapot and soaked her robes with fragrant tea. She stood quickly.

"Oh dear. I must change." She didn't sound very embarrassed about the accident. She certainly didn't look upset.

"Should I meet him without you?" Martin asked.

"No." She stated emphatically.

"Should I let him into the courtyard to wait? It's rather windy out there tonight." Caroline asked.

"No. He'll be just fine where he is. I'll return shortly." His vampire steward replied flatly before walking out of the room. She still had his key; he found it easier to leave it with her in order for her to fetch things from his room rather than keep giving it to her all the time.

"So I guess that means I don't get my tea." Fathis said softly as he looked at the broken shards. "We might as well get back to work."

As Martin turned his attention to his copy of _Brief History of the Empire_ he heard Baurus muttering darkly about always being the one to clean up messy floors. He doubted that his book would help much; he hoped that Tar-Meena would be able to find out what _tinder of Anu_ was. Without that piece of information he didn't think they'd be able to figure out the second item needed for the ritual. And without the second item they couldn't hope to figure out the third.

He was several pages further in to the book when Lilia finally returned. He realized that she'd been gone a lot longer than it should have taken her to toss off her robe, probably leaving it wadded up in the bathtub or on top of his desk, and pull on a fresh one. Glancing over at her he noted the brown cloak, hood pulled low to cover her face, and the fact that she now had lips. Rather red lips. She was definitely up to something and he had no idea what it was.

"Let's go." She called to Martin as she walked towards the large doors that led to the courtyard. He stood up and saw Baurus step over to join him; he'd finished tidying up the broken teapot and spilt tea. The Blade had a highly amused expression on his face as he walked with Martin out into the night air.

A chill wind was blowing down from the mountains. The torches lighting the battlements were burning sideways instead of straight; the only other illumination was the thin slivers of the moons and the distant stars above. He reconsidered Lilia's purpose in donning her cloak; he wished he had one himself.

Standing as close as he could to the building trying to stay out of the wind Martin waited for Lilia to bring up his visitor. He guessed the man was a Nord with a name like that. Wulfgar Half-Man. Judging by the sound of it he was probably a dwarf.

So the mountain-sized figure that rose up the stairs was entirely unexpected. Lilia barely came up to his shoulder and he made her look rather delicate and dainty next to his bulky frame. He was the largest Nord Martin had ever seen.

"I am honoured to present Wulfgar Half-Man, warrior of the Skaal." Lilia announced. She still hadn't pushed her hood back. In the glow of the torches Martin took a good look at the man. He didn't know who or what the Skaal were but he was sure he wouldn't want to run afoul of their warriors. It looked like the man's body was entirely made of muscles.

"I present to you Baurus, member of the Blades." The Nord bowed to the Redguard and Martin noticed hints of grey in his dark brown hair.

"Hail Baurus." Wulfgar's greeting was deep and booming, it sounded like a stone's voice would if a stone could talk. The Nords were well known for their full voices.

"I present to you Martin Septim, heir presumptive to the Imperial throne." Lilia completed the formal introductions.

"Hail Martin Septim. I am honoured to pledge myself as your servant as a representative of the Skaal." The Nord dropped down to kneel as he spoke; even on one bended knee he was only a head shorter than Martin.

"I thank you for your loyalty." Martin wasn't entirely sure how he was supposed to respond to something like that. It all felt so awkward to him. Wulfgar appeared satisfied by the response and stood back up. Martin noted that the man was the type who'd normally be called ruggedly handsome. Despite his weather beaten skin and the thin scar that ran from his jaw, across his cheek, and up to form a small divot in a dark eyebrow he had the chiselled jaw and defined cheekbones that women seemed to like.

"And who introduces you?" The Nord was looking down at the hidden steward; all Martin could see of her face was her grinning lips.

"I'm surprised you need anyone to do so. I'm disappointed that you don't remember me." She replied. He could hear the teasing note in her voice.

"Maybe if I could see you I would. Your voice is familiar." Wulfgar answered, clearly curious as to who she was.

"Hmm, perhaps that would help." She pushed back her hood and Martin couldn't believe the difference in her appearance. It was as if she'd been coloured in. He'd never noticed just how exotic looking she was before. He'd always thought she was rather plain.

"Lilia! I thought I'd never see you again." The Nord boomed out before grabbing her face and pulling her in for a big kiss. The sight didn't at all please Martin. For some reason the act nettled him; he was sure it was because it didn't seem a proper thing for a visitor to do to his steward.

Lilia wasn't struggling away from him but he saw that she wasn't returning the kiss either. After what felt like far too long for his tastes Wulfgar finally released her.

"Where's all your hair?" He asked while gently picking up one of her curls and pulling it straight.

"On my head where it's always been. Would you like to tell me why I shouldn't demand wergild for your actions?" Lilia asked with a grin; she certainly didn't sound angry. She actually sounded rather happy.

"I always swore that if I ever saw you again I'd give you a great big kiss in thanks. You've saved my life more times than you know." Wulfgar answered as he pulled a pendant out from under his shirt. Lilia cradled it with a white-gloved hand and traced the curve of it with the index finger of the other. Martin wasn't sure if it was a claw or a tooth; either way it must have come from a rather large creature. The end was covered with a thin cap of silver; he was sure it ended in a razor sharp point underneath.

"The enchantment is still in place. Remarkable." She murmured at it. Martin noted that she was standing awfully close to the Nord as she admired it. Noticing Martin and Baurus' curious stares she dropped the pendant and stepped back. "We should probably go inside out of the wind."

They returned to the great hall. Fathis raised his eyebrows at Lilia's appearance and then raised his head to better look at Wulfgar.

"Wulfgar, I'd like you to meet Fathis Aren, Court Wizard of Bravil. Fathis, this is Wulfgar Half-Man, warrior of the Skaal." Lilia introduced them to each other. The Dunmer stood and gave the Nord a small bow. "He's helping Martin with some important research. We can sit over by the fire and visit there. I'll order some mead if you'd like." She was guiding the warrior to the sofa beside the fireplace.

"Actually I think I need a break. Do you mind if I join you?" Fathis asked with an inscrutable smile.

"Of course not. Baurus and Martin you're both welcome to join us as well." Lilia answered as she pulled off her cloak. To Martin's surprise she was wearing a pale blue velveteen dress. He didn't know she even owned a dress. When he'd seen the fabric as she'd emptied her pack he'd assumed it was a robe like all of her other ones.

"I'll get the mead." Baurus offered cheerfully before heading off to the kitchens. Martin realized that he might as well join them. He took a seat in a chair near the fire opposite the sofa on which Lilia sat with Wulfgar. He still didn't know who the man was or why he'd come to Cloud Ruler Temple.

"You haven't changed a bit. How are your parents?" The Nord asked while studying the steward.

"They died sixteen years ago in a tragic accident." Lilia answered quietly. To Martin's surprise Wulfgar grabbed her in a big hug and murmured words of condolences. She didn't stiffen, flinch, or pull away like she did whenever he touched her. In fact she seemed to be almost cuddly as she hugged the Nord back. It was odd, cuddly was not a term he ever thought of using in describing her. Bossy, silly, and perhaps occasionally even stabby all seemed to be better choices.

As they both sat back again Martin noticed that she was holding the Nord's hand with her gloved one while leaning her side lightly against his. This was highly unusual behaviour for her.

"Thank you. But what brings you here? You couldn't have made it all the way from Solstheim so quickly." She asked with a smile.

"I took your advice and joined the Legion years ago. I was on leave in the Imperial City when I heard that there was a new Emperor and came up to offer my blade to him. There are some strange rumours going around that he's gathering an army up here." Wulfgar answered.

"He's not, I am." Lilia replied with a grin. "I'm glad to hear you joined the Legion though. Where are you stationed normally? Fort Frostmouth?"

"I was at first but I got moved to the mainland. It hasn't been an easy job but it's been interesting. Some of my friends decided to come to Cyrodiil for their leave and I managed to join them. It's nothing like Skyrim." Wulfgar said while shaking his head.

"No, it certainly isn't. Where did you two meet?" Fathis asked. The Dunmer was clearly curious about the visitor.

"Solstheim. My father had been sent up there to handle negotiations for a potential silver mine near Thirsk. I went with him; my mother hated going any place cold and went on to Valenwood ahead of us. Because of the location of the silver deposit he needed to get the blessings of the Skaal and I travelled with him up to the village." Lilia answered. "I stayed in the village while my father returned to the mainland; negotiations were more complicated than expected. How is everyone?" She asked Wulfgar.

"Good. They haven't forgotten their blood sister." The Nord answered.

"Your Nord blood comes from the Skaal?" Martin asked. It would help to explain why she was so stocky, though she looked far more diminutive seated next to the giant warrior.

"No. It's from the other side of Skyrim. I helped Wulfgar with a small matter while I was up there and the people named me friend of the Skaal in thanks. It was very kind of them."

"Small matter?" Wulfgar's deep laugh rumbled against the walls; Martin got the impression of a rock fall in the sound. "That was no small matter." He said while holding the pendant up.

"What is that?" Fathis asked; his intense curiosity was clear in his voice. "And you're part Nord?"

"It's a pendant. It's enchanted with a detect life spell." Lilia answered quickly before Wulfgar could. "And yes, I'm part Nord. I'm actually part everything."

"Really? You must tell me how that happened." Fathis spoke while he accepted the mead that Baurus was offering him; the Redguard had returned with several chilled bottles.

"I'll start with my mother's side. My grandfather was an Altmer named Ilmiril. My grandmother, Brisienne, was the daughter of a minor Breton noble. According to her one of her ancestors was a Nord with some Orc blood in her. Allegedly a Nord miner and an Orc maiden fell in love ages ago; the children of that union were said to take after their father more than their mother. They lived among the Nords of Karthwasten Hall until one of their descendants found a rich iron deposit. He became remarkable wealthy and his daughter was considered an attractive catch due to his fabulous fortune and the fact that she was the sole heir. She married a long past and near penniless Lord Lefevre; Nana Brisienne told us that her Orc blood was one of the family's dirty little secrets. But then so was my mother." Lilia chuckled to herself before continuing.

"My father's side is where I get the rest. My great great grandfather, Faldan, told me the story about his ancestors. Years ago a Dark Elf and an Argonian slave fell in love and ran away to the Imperial city. Their daughter looked like a Dunmer and she had hair the same colour as her father's scales. According to the story she married an Imperial; for several generations this colour cropped up occasionally in the family even though they mainly married other Imperials. That is until Faldan's mother Audania ran off with a Bosmer. Faldan said she was a wonderful woman with a delightful sense of humour. He used to say I reminded him of her."

"Wait, you knew your great great grandfather?" Baurus asked.

"I saw him at least once a year until he disappeared. He was half Bosmer and had the long life of mer. Both of my parents were like that as well; I wasn't lucky enough to receive such blessings though. I age like you do." Lilia replied. "Faldan had hair the same colour as I did, but he looked like a Bosperial."

"A what?" Fathis was clearly bewildered by the term.

"Bosmer Imperial blend." Martin offered.

"Right. And I don't know if you've ever met an Ohmes but they look exactly like Bosperials, except that they're actually Khajiits. When he met my great great grandmother Adharanji he thought that she was a blend like him, and she thought he was an Ohmes like her. By the time they realized that they weren't at all what they thought they'd already fallen madly in love. Faldan used to tell me all about her; she died long before I was born. He ended up moving to Leyawiin with her and considered himself to be Khajiiti by marriage. He was a brave man who worked tirelessly to prevent the Imperial expansion into their territory. Once Leyawiin was surrendered to the Imperials he disappeared to join the Renrijra Krin. My father never heard from him again; personally I hope he's still out there in the jungles and swamps plotting the return of the city to the Mane."

"Faldan was a terrorist?" Fathis asked.

"If you believe the Imperial lies then yes, you could call him that. But I personally think he was a hero." As she answered the question Martin noticed how she raised her chin up ever so slightly; she clearly admired her great great grandfather. He was glad Jauffre wasn't around for this conversation; the Grandmaster would probably have a heart attack to hear the Emperor's steward actively sympathizing with the Renrijra Krin. "He and Adharanji had three children. Their only son, my great grandfather, ended up living with a Bosmer. Their son, my grandfather, was a courier; he traveled all over the lands. When he was in the Alik'r desert in Hammerfell he met my grandmother and my father was the result of that union. So if their stories are true then I've got a bit of everything in me, though I'm mostly Bosmer, Altmer, Breton, and Redguard."

"Apart from your ancestor guardian do you have any other powers from such a background?" Fathis asked. Lilia shook her head.

"No. I wish I did but I certainly don't. I don't have any special resistances to cold or heat, or any other natural magical immunities. The only thing my ancestry bestows on me is a very distinctive appearance. When you don't look like anyone else you certainly can't blend in very well." Martin could hear the faint hint of bitterness in her words as she answered.

"Pity. I was hoping you could command creatures. That's always such an entertaining skill." The Dunmer said with a grin before looking over to Wulfgar. "Where did you get that pendant? I can feel the enchantment from here."

"I made it." Lilia answered quickly, cutting off the Nord. She certainly didn't seem to want to let him discuss it; Martin thought she was being a bit rude about it.

"With what soul?"

"An Aureal." She replied.

"A what?" Martin didn't recognize the name.

"Sorry. A golden saint."

"A golden saint? Where did you get a soul gem with a golden saint in it? Those things are worth a small fortune." The Telvanni looked very surprised by the answer.

"I won it in a card game in Blacklight from a minor House Hlaalu noble." Martin noticed she had a small smile on her lips and a faraway look in her eyes as she spoke softly.

"And what could you have bet that would match the value of such a thing?" The mer asked suspiciously. Lilia pulled herself out of her reverie at the question.

"Something he thought was worth it. I never make a bet unless I'm prepared to pay up. Besides, even though he lost at cards he was well satisfied with the outcome of that evening so please don't worry yourself that he was cheated out of it." Her free hand waved idly as she spoke. "Though I'm sure you wouldn't ever concern yourself about such things." Lilia gave Fathis a wink causing the mer to begin laughing.

"So tell me how you ended up joining the Legion." Lilia took advantage of the mer's inability to continue questioning her to turn the conversation to the Nord beside her. "I want to hear all about it."

Martin didn't particularly want to hear the answer to her inquiry. He was still trying to figure out what she'd gambled against a soul gem containing a golden saint. And he was vaguely confused by her use of the term 'well satisfied.'


	92. Chapter 92: Start at the Beginning

"I've already given him the job. Martin, please. I've never asked for anything before; I can't tell you how much better his presence here would make me feel." Lilia was imploring him to grant her request. She was staring at him with those grey eyes of hers; he'd somehow never realized how exotic they were. He briefly wondered how he'd failed to notice them before turning his thoughts back to the matter at hand.

"How can you trust him? You haven't seen him in sixteen years. Besides, if he stays then he'll be a deserter. How would it look to have someone like that working for me?" Martin asked while trying not to sound too peevish. He didn't like her idea because he didn't like the man. He'd grown rather irritated by the Nord's presence over the course of the late evening visit. Though he still wasn't sure entirely why that was.

"Almalexia's Armpits! You sound just like Jauffre!" Lilia was getting frustrated with him. "Wulfgar's the most honourable man I've ever met. I trust him with my life; I trust him with your life. And he wouldn't be a deserter; you're the Emperor. He's sworn loyalty to you; if you order him to stay then he'll stay. Besides he won't be working for you, he'll be working for me. I need a secretary."

"Wulfgar Half-man, secretary to the Emperor's steward. What's the other half? Ogre? Does he even know how to read?" Martin muttered under his breath.

"I heard that. What has gotten in to you?" Lilia shook her head with frustration. He noticed the way her ears were pointed at the top; her wavy hair normally covered them. He'd never seen ears quite like that before. "Of course he can read. He might not have had any formal education but he's a very smart man. And you know just as well as I do that he's not going to really be my bloody secretary. He's going to be your third bodyguard."

"I have a team of bodyguards already; they're called the Blades. Perhaps you've heard of them?"

"By the Nine!" Lilia said sharply as she stood up from the blue sofa in his room and began pacing. "You cannot put your life in their hands. They didn't just fail once when they couldn't keep your father alive, they failed three more times with each one of your half-brothers! You have no idea how difficult it is for me to leave you in their protection even with Baurus being here to guard you."

"If I recall it was Baurus and yourself who failed to keep the Emperor alive in the first place." Jauffre had told Martin what he knew of the events under the Imperial City; he'd been warning the future Emperor not to blindly trust himself to Lilia's care. "You were in the same room as him; how could you have let him die?"

Lilia froze. She seemed to stop blinking; Martin didn't like her silence. He hadn't meant to ask her the question like that; he'd been curious as to what really had happened for a while now but hadn't intended for it to come out in such an accusing fashion.

"Lilia, I'm sorry. Sit down." He waved to the blue sofa across from him. She still hadn't moved.

"No. You want to know what happened? The Divines happened." She wasn't blinking but she was now staring at him with narrowed eyes. Lilia was hissing at him as she spoke. "They took over my body, silenced me, and let me get worked over by a corrupt Imperial guard in the prison. I was beaten so badly I passed out. Then I got to wake up and slam my own shoulder back into place against the wall before passing out again. And then the Emperor came through with his precious Blades. I followed them; I was convinced that I'd die if I stayed in that cell. I couldn't heal myself, I couldn't fight with my broken body, I couldn't cast any spells. I couldn't even hold a torch. There was nothing I could do to help. I watched one of the Blades get cut down in front of me. And then I ended up alone with Uriel and his talk of visions and fate and the will of the Aedra. Do you really think I wouldn't have done something, anything, to keep him alive if I could?"

"Lilia, stop, you don't need to…" He'd never seen her so upset and yet eerily calm before. It was very worrisome.

"Because I would have. I would have thrown myself against the assassin, I would have screamed, I would have done any number of things that might have kept him alive. But I couldn't. He gave me the Amulet of Kings, told me to find you, and then he paralyzed me. The fatalistic fool paralyzed me so that I couldn't do anything to stop him from dying at the hands of a Mythic Dawn agent. It was because the visions that the Gods had given him had told him that he needed to die. Are you starting to understand why I don't trust the Nine? Why I'm so concerned about your own visions?" She was still hissing at him and still not blinking.

"Lilia, please, stop…" Martin stood up and started walking over to her. He really hadn't meant to set her off like this.

"Or do you still not believe me? You never believe me. Nobody ever believes me. Do you have any idea what it's like to go through something like that? To be led into such pain and death by the Gods who are supposed to love and protect you from evil? And they didn't stop there. They haven't stopped yet. I surprised I'm still sane; I really should have lost my mind ages ago. No." She stepped away from him; he'd been reaching out to try and comfort her. At least she'd begun blinking as she'd stepped back. "Leave me be. I'm not mad yet. But I am getting very frustrated that you don't seem to listen to me. Do you think I've been doing all of this for fun? That tasting your food or closing Oblivion gates or giving you my treasured possessions in an effort to keep you alive is just another one of my odd quirks? I'm not about to let you die like he did. But I can't do it alone. I need help. I need your help most of all, because I can't keep you alive if you won't work with me."

"Lilia…"

"I'm going to wash my face. Just think about it." She said quietly before walking away.

He watched the wooden door to the bathroom close behind her; Martin suddenly felt very guilty. He'd taken her for granted. He'd just accepted that she was there to protect him and that she was rather strange; he'd never really thought about what she was thinking and feeling as she worked tirelessly on his behalf. Reflecting on it he realized that she was far more patient then he gave her credit for; her mild bossiness wasn't much considering how stubbornly he'd resisted some of her suggestions. Thinking about it he felt she'd actually been rather gentle by merely shocking him mildly when she'd returned from infiltrating the Mythic Dawn to find him sitting around without any form of armour. He'd been chatting with Baurus while she'd been out killing daedra worshippers in his name. While he'd been poring over the book that she'd retrieved for him she'd been out not only raising a small army to defend Bruma and himself but setting up a system to try and keep the rest of Cyrodiil safe; Fathis had told him about how she'd worked with the Arch Mage to prevent warriors from blindly charging into the gates and had trained an entire group of mages to close portals around the province without her. And instead of thanking her he'd instead chastised her for her choice of curses.

His vampire steward emerged once more dressed in a silk robe looking just as plain as she normally did. She'd even brushed out her hair; the tips of her ears were once more hidden from view. As she made her way over to him he noted that she didn't seem to be upset, but she also didn't look happy. The way her shoulders were slumped and the tired expression on her face gave her a defeated air.

"Martin, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have bothered you with another one of my fanciful Divine stories. I know you don't know him but I would like Wulfgar here at Cloud Ruler Temple to help me keep you safe. Let me finish." He was trying to interrupt her; she should not be the one making apologies. He also wasn't pleased to see her so dispirited. Lilia continued. "I got to know him very well during my time with the Skaal. He's a good and noble man. Not only did he save my life twice but he also saved me from myself. Please consider granting my request." She sighed softly as she stared down at a spot on the floor near the fireplace.

Seeing her being so humble he felt awful; it was like she'd been reduced to begging in order to do what she considered her job as his protector.

"Lilia, I'm sorry, I really am…" He started apologizing to her, trailing off as she stepped back and gave him an intensely scrutinizing stare.

"You won't do me this one simple favour? I don't suppose you'll change your mind, you can be maddeningly stubborn sometimes." She sighed heavily and started walking towards the door, surely intending to remove the Nord from her normally unused bedroom. "I'll let Wulfgar know he's not to stay."

"Wait. He can stay." He grabbed her gloved hand as she went past him. Lilia raised an eyebrow at him, clearly confused by his apparent change of mind. He clasped her hand with both of his own; it was a very familiar gesture that he used to use on his parishioners all the time. Lilia was now regarding him with what looked like a suspicious expression. "I didn't mean I was sorry that he couldn't work for you. If you think it's best then I'll go along with it. No, what I'm sorry for is the fact that I haven't told you how much I appreciate what you've done for me. Thank you."

"You're quite welcome." Lilia gently tugged her hand away and stepped back. For an instant he thought he saw a very goofy grin on her face but she merely appeared to be smiling. "You should get to sleep. It's well past your bedtime. If Baurus found out how late I let you stay up he'd never let me live it down."

Martin nodded and moved over to the bathroom to change. As he did so he wondered about the wisdom in letting Wulfgar remain at Cloud Ruler Temple. He was starting to come to the conclusion that the Nord was Lilia's former lover; he hoped that her judgment wasn't clouded by her emotions. But she hadn't steered Martin wrong yet and he did trust her. Perhaps she did know what she was doing. Then why was he so unhappy with the idea?

When he returned he saw Lilia sitting sideways on the far end of the blue sofa, her bare feet up on the soft cushions, hugging her knees to her chest as she stared into the fire. He realized that he never wondered what it was she was always thinking about.

"What are you doing? Off to bed with you; you're not an immortal despite your Divine blood. You need your rest." She scolded him softly as he sat down across from her.

"In a minute. I was wondering if you wouldn't mind explaining what you meant when you said that Wulfgar saved you from yourself." Martin was very curious about the strange words she'd spoken. Lilia sighed and shifted position to face him, tucking her legs beside her as she leaned against the cushions

"My life has always been a bit unusual. I don't really look like anybody else. When I was a child I disliked the fact that I was so different. It was made worse because of my father's job; everyone from the nobility to the commoners seemed to always be watching me, staring at me, and studying me. And this certainly didn't help." She tugged on a lock of her hair. "I always felt like an outcast no matter where I went. That's not to say I had a miserable childhood or no friends, but it's just that I was always aware that I was different. It used to bother me a fair bit.

And then I got older and restless. Where I'd once been content to move from castle to manor, province to province, I was starting to get bored with the same routines. The polite greetings, the proper manners, always needing to look presentable, and the insufferable petty court politics of it all. My favourite times were when I visited my grandmother in High Rock or my great great grandfather in Elsweyr. Because then I somehow felt more alive, more connected to the rhythm of life that everybody else seemed to follow. I loved my parents dearly but I don't think they understood just what to do with me or how quickly I was maturing. Or at least, how quickly I felt I matured.

When I was seventeen I spent two weeks alone in Jehanna. My mother had gone off to visit the Arcane University and my father had been called to an emergency round of negotiations in Hammerfell. I managed to convince him to leave me by myself; he'd been in the midst of protracted trade discussions with the Prince. To my surprise he agreed to let me stay in the castle; I now have the feeling that he actually needed to leave for Blades business and was relieved not to have to take me along. It wasn't the first time that had happened but it was the first time that my mother hadn't also been present."

"What does this have to do with Wulfgar?" Martin asked. He was a little worried she'd lost track of his question.

"Impatient, aren't you? I thought it would make more sense if I told you why I needed to be saved from myself in the first place." Lilia pointed at him before returning her hand to her side. "I didn't normally interact much with the actual rulers of the places we visited. In the social hierarchy I was more on the level of a servant than a dignitary. So I wasn't surprised that the Prince and Princess ignored me. I'd become very used to entertaining myself, as I mentioned I often like to star gaze. It was on my second night alone while lying in the grass that I found out the Prince had a mistress. She was a Lady, married to a local Lord, and a respected member of the court. She and the Prince emerged from behind a shrubbery holding hands right in front of me. He stalked off without a word; she stayed to try and convince me not to let anyone else know.

I'd seen enough of affairs in my travels, both discreet and open, that I had no problem giving her my word that I'd never tell anyone. As we spoke she found out that I was alone and bade me call on her the next day. That was the start of a very strange friendship and a period of my life that I'm not overly proud of. She was a fascinating woman; she wasn't beautiful in a conventional sense but she managed to make everyone else think that she was without magic. I'd always though of myself as rather plain; she managed to convince me that I was exotic. She taught me how to play up my features, how to dress to suit my frame, all about the subtle art of flirting with gestures instead of words. I'm sure she thought she was doing me a kindness, and in a way she was."

Lilia shifted position; she appeared to be fidgeting. "Martin, why did you choose Sanguine? Out of all the Daedric Princes, why him?"

"His magical power I suppose." He murmured quietly. He wasn't sure why she was asking.

"But he's far from being the most powerful Daedra of them all. If that's all you were after you could have worshipped Peryite or Azura. Didn't Sanguine's more tempting philosophy play a part in your decision?"

"Well, yes. A large part in it, actually." Martin answered the floor. Sanguine's philosophy of indulging every whim and enjoying every pleasure had been a very attractive one to him. But it wasn't something he liked to admit; he was now a Priest after all.

"Mmm. That's normally why people choose to devote themselves to him. So then you'll probably understand my actions a bit better than others might. By the time my father had returned I felt like a new person. Using all of the tricks and techniques the Prince's mistress taught me I found that I could command attention, particularly male attention. I'd always noticed the power that attractive women could yield over men and it had fascinated me. I became enchanted with this newfound playground. For the next two years I proceeded to flirt my way through the Empire. It wasn't overt; I would never have done anything to ruin my father's name. But it became a game of mine, trying to find some attractive young man, or perhaps a distinguished older mer, that I could attempt to bewitch in each new town. More often than not I failed to attract anyone but when I did succeed, oh dear, I cringe to remember how I'd behave. And the things that I could get them to give me and teach me in exchange for a chance to…well, I'll just say that it was a very educational time for me. I rarely intended to bed them but they didn't know that. I was careless and I was cruel as I toyed with their affections.

And I became very vain. My hair, which I had alternated between loving and hating, became one of my favourite weapons in my arsenal. I'd pamper it and curl it, twirl it seductively in my fingers or let it flow loose in the breeze. It used to come down to my shoulder blades. Oh, I'd spend at least an hour each morning getting ready, making myself presentable before I went in search of a new victim. Even after the period of time where I'd lost my eyesight and stayed with Divayth Fyr hadn't done anything to curb my wicked ways. If anything it made them worse; I felt my eyes made me even more exotic and I figured out how to use mysticism to cheat at cards. I was well on my way to a career as a courtesan; I was just as vain, cruel, and self serving as all of the petty nobles I used to despise."

"I'm having a bit of trouble picturing you like that. I wouldn't use any of those terms to describe you now." Martin offered. He was sure she was being too hard on herself.

"I don't act like that now; my time with the Skaal cured me of it. It's actually a bit embarrassing; I made a complete ass of myself when I was first there. You've seen Wulfgar, you know how handsome he is. Of course I set my sights on him; how delightful I thought it would be to add a warrior of the Skaal to my list of admirers. Thankfully he saw right through me. This wasn't a royal court I was in, this was a village where the people worked tirelessly to keep warm, keep fed, and keep their spirits up. The Nords have one of my favourite attitudes towards life. Even though they live in places so cold even Ysmir would grow icicles on his third leg they still make sure to enjoy themselves. But they value hard work and honesty; an attractive woman up there is one who knows how to skin a bear without wasting an ounce of meat. That's a far cry from a spoilt diplomat's daughter.

Wulfgar is a hunter, probably one of the best I've ever met. I tried pretending I was interested in helping him; I had no real desire to learn how to hunt back then. He knew it and so he told me to take the night patrol to prove that I was serious before he'd agree to teach me. I can sometimes be rather stubborn so I did it just to prove him wrong. The first night was uneventful, terribly cold, and horribly dull. He still wasn't convinced I was sincere, which I wasn't, and so I took patrol again the next night. That's when he saved my life for the first time. I was alone; the warrior I was with had left to grab some food and I'd told him I'd be fine on my own. I was attacked mere moments after he left; I never even saw it coming. I was such a fool. I wasn't even using the detect life spell I taught you, I thought that guarding the village was a joke.

Wulfgar drove off the beast and I woke up in the Shaman's hut. I'd been unconscious for two days. That's when I finally realized that I'd not only risked my life, but the lives of the villagers, with my foolish vanity. It was very sobering to understand just how easily I could have died if he hadn't been so close and such a good shot with his bow. At that moment I lost all desire to toy with him or anyone else; but I did gain a real interest in hunting. During the rest of my stay with the Skaal I grew very close to him and he made me realize just how vain I'd been, though he never said a word about it. Just being in his presence, seeing the way he lived life in the moment, dealing with reality and not worrying about intangibles, showed me what life was really supposed to be like. It was so far removed from life at court it was a completely different world."

"But then why did you make yourself look so…I mean, why did you get dressed up when he arrived here?" Martin had been about to use the term beautiful but caught himself before he did; she wasn't beautiful. He certainly didn't think so. At least, he hadn't thought so before.

Lilia laughed at the question. "I may not be anywhere near as vain as I used to be, but I do still have some small traces of vanity left. I couldn't let Wulfgar see me looking like this after all those years. But don't worry; I won't bother getting dressed up any more. While it may be the thing to do in society it isn't at all the thing to do among soldiers, and I've got a bunch of them running around Bruma. The last thing I need is anyone falling for me now; that certainly wouldn't make my life any easier. Speaking of which I wanted to warn you about something. I've been doing some thinking and I've got an idea of why Jauffre might not like me so much."

"Yes?" Martin wanted to know what paranoid conclusions she'd come up with now.

"Well, he doesn't seem to like that I spend so much time with you alone, and he did have that crazy idea about just why that was. And he's always sending me away from you. I think he's jealous." Lilia told him with an impish grin.

"Of me?" Martin asked; the idea was ridiculous. Jauffre gave no indication that he was remotely interested in Lilia.

"No. Of me. I think he fancies you Priest of Akatosh. I mean you did spend all that time with Sanguine worshippers, it would be logical to assume that you…"

"Lilia!" He cut her off before she could complete the thought.

"Oh, don't act so shocked. I'm sure I haven't done half the things you have. Well, I probably have." She waved her hands in a fake gesture of frustration; she was still wearing that wicked grin. "Alright, I've probably done most of the things you have. Though I've never done that before. Did you do that? Wait, don't answer that question. I don't want to know."

"Lilia, I am not continuing this conversation any further. I'm going to bed. Good night." Martin stood up and made his way over to the bed while trying hard not to laugh. He didn't want to encourage her; she was in such an odd mood.

"Are you sure you don't want company? I can go and get Jauffre if you need a cuddle…oof!" The pillow that Martin had sent magically flying at his absurd vampire steward managed to hit her softly right in the face. Perhaps that would finally cause her lips to stop moving.

Her lips that were currently curled up in a wicked smile as she leaned on the pillow and stared at him with those grey eyes of hers as he drew the curtains closed around him. Lying in the dark he once more wondered just why he'd never noticed her eyes before, and why he was now seeing them every time he closed his own.


	93. Chapter 93: Roll Call

"Can you show me that move again?" Martin asked Baurus as they practiced in the sunlit courtyard. The wind had dwindled away and the intense warmth of the sunshine provided a gentle heat. Lilia could feel it on the tips of her shoes; she was standing in the shade under the overhang beside Wulfgar. She'd been telling the Nord about the various measures in place to keep Martin alive. It had been rather difficult; whispering up at him she'd had to resist the urge to bite him several times. The blood flowing through his veins was calling to her.

"I've already shown you five times. What aren't you seeing?" Baurus joked as he once more tried to demonstrate. Lilia could see that the future Emperor was getting frustrated; Baurus' sleeves were probably blocking his view of the wrist rotation.

"I think he wants you to take your shirt off so he can see better. Would you like that Martin?" She called out to them. Baurus laughed; he'd heard about Martin and Lilia's interesting training session. Lilia snickered softly. She thought Martin looked so cute as he blushed slightly with embarrassment. Spending all of this time around him was starting to drive her mad. Instead of getting sick of him she kept finding him even more enchanting and desirable than she'd thought possible. It didn't help that she wanted to feed so badly. She was starting to feel slightly feral and her thoughts were taking a turn towards all of her more base wants and needs. Her mind was a rather dirty place at the moment.

"No, I wouldn't like that. Thank you Lilia for your unhelpful suggestion." He gave her that same slightly mortified look that he'd given her last night and she tried not to dissolve into giggles. He was so much fun to tease, she simply couldn't resist it.

A familiar voice, lightly accented with the cadence of mainland Morrowind, floated through the gate to her sensitive ears. He'd finally arrived; it was time for Lilia to go down and review the troops. She glanced up at Wulfgar.

"Watch over Martin for me." The Nord nodded and she patted his arm before striding off towards the gate. Lilia called out to the practicing men. "I've got to go down to Bruma for a while."

"Be right back." Martin ordered her; he was pointing his katana at her and she tried not to smile like a feebleminded fool. It was so charming when he tried to be authoritative.

"I'll be right back." She answered him before stepping down the stone stairs, trying not to skip the entire time.

* * *

"So besides our host of fighters, which you did a good job selecting by the way, we have a Grand Champion?" Modryn asked her as they walked down the path to Bruma.

"Two, actually, but don't count me in anything. But yes, you've got Lord Lovidicus…"

"Wait, who? And count you for what?" The mer looked at her curiously. Lilia realized that he hadn't heard about her position in the Arena; she'd never discussed it with him before.

"Agronak gro-Malog, the Grey Prince, is Lord Lovidicus. And I'm Tiger Lily." She answered while trying not to stare at his mohawk. The black hair was sparkling in the sunlight and she wondered briefly what he did to keep it in place in the wind or a rainstorm.

"You? My Champion is the Grand Champion?" Modryn looked very amused at the news.

"Yes. But we're not the only Arena fighters here. There are several from both the Blue Team and the Yellow team. Don't worry, they won't cause any trouble. Rivalries don't usually extend outside of the Arena. But we might want to keep them in separate units just in case." She'd been overwhelmed by the amount of Yellow team combatants who'd agreed to come to Bruma and help defend it. Synderius had told her that everyone was rather grateful that she'd managed to convince the Elder Council to suspend death matches. The Blue team had provided more fighters though; she still had a soft spot for her fellow teammates and was pleased that they hadn't let themselves be outdone. Ysabel had been frighteningly furious when she saw how many contestants were all planning on taking an unauthorized vacation up to Bruma. Lilia had briefly considered asking her to join them; she couldn't imagine any daedra being able to withstand the Battle Matron's wrath.

"You're the one that would always bet on a properly trained Battlemage?" She recognized his question; Lilia still remembered that rather unflattering article that had appeared in the Black Horse Courier. Though she'd never admit it to anyone she had kept a copy of it folded up and hidden in one of the cloth bags in her pack, along with the broadsheet about possessed horses.

"Yes. Speaking of Battlemages there is a battalion of them here and they are all properly trained. And I have an idea of how we can use people to maximize their effectiveness. Have you ever read _The Art of War Magic_? It's absolutely brilliant." She told him as they walked through the open gates into the city.

"I'm sure having three extra Captains of the Guard will help with that. Which reminds me, who is coordinating all of this? You?" Modryn asked.

"No. That would surely end in disaster, I'm not known for my ability to work well with a variety of people. I've got someone else lined up to take care of it. In fact here he is right now." Lilia waved at the blond Imperial striding purposefully towards her. Captain Burd had been happy to relinquish control over the various mages, fighters, and soldiers who had already reported in to Bruma when she'd asked him about it. He'd said that he had enough to deal with just to keep order in the city.

"Lilia. I'm glad you're here. There is a new group of mages who've just arrived and I'm not sure how to assign them." Captain Lex greeted her quickly. She'd heard such good things about him and his abilities to deal with the diverse population of Anvil; everyone from the sailors on the docks to the upper crust had made remarks about the fine quality of Anvil's new Captain in Lilia's hearing. She was counting on him to keep the chaos to a minimum and so far she was very impressed. He'd only arrived yesterday and he'd already managed to start organizing everyone.

"Modryn I'd like you to meet Hieronymus Lex, Captain of the Anvil City Guards. Hieronymus this is Modryn Oreyn, Master of the Fighters Guild." Lilia made the introductions.

"Master. I'll never get used to hearing you say that." The Dunmer murmured with a grin. Lilia paid him no attention as she indicated for Lex to lead the way. Walking through the city she was amazed at the number of warriors who'd come to defend Bruma against the threat of the Mythic Dawn. While she had managed to accumulate some of the finest fighters that Cyrodiil had to offer she had made sure that each city was adequately defended and protected in case more Oblivion gates opened up outside of them. She'd never forgive herself if a different city were to fall because of her.

She recognized the uniforms of the different towns of Cyrodiil as she followed Hieronymus to the Mages Guild. She nodded at a soldier who greeted her wearing the familiar oak emblem of Chorrol. The gate there had already been closed by the time she'd arrived. Countess Valga had offered up a group of soldiers and Lilia had spent some time at both guild halls before she'd finally teleported back to Bruma. She'd left her horse at the Chorrol stable for Modryn's use; the mer had been most complimentary when she'd greeted him about her new steed. He'd told her that he hadn't even needed a single fireball to get to Bruma.

"Lilia, is it true? Have you and Raminus really banned the use of conjuration magic?" She had to glance around to find the source of the question; the main hall of the Mages Guild was full of bodies. Finally locating him she noted that Athragar didn't look entirely happy. Erthor stood beside him, looking slightly annoyed at his Bosmer friend's impertinence.

"Temporarily. The fabric between Mundus and Aetherius is strangely weak right now. The last thing we want is our mages tearing even more holes in it. Once this is over I'm sure the ban will be lifted." She tried to console the mer.

"I told you there had to be a good reason behind it." Erthor said with a tinge of superiority in his voice; Lilia guessed that the Bosmers had been debating the ban beforehand. Raminus hadn't been happy about it but had agreed to it so long as Lilia explained the ban to all of the guild heads as she'd traveled around Cyrodiil. The fact that Teekeus hadn't shared the knowledge with the Wood Elves didn't really surprise her; she was still trying to convince the Arch Mage to remove him from his post. But as she hadn't been able to suggest a replacement nothing had yet come of it.

"Erthor and Athragar." Lilia pointed at the list on the parchment Hieronymus was scanning. "They are our experts on daedra; you'll want them to train everyone and anyone about the foul creatures' strengths and weaknesses and the best way to kill them. Erthor is also very skilled in shock spells, though I'd prefer if you kept him to the back. We want him alive."

"I'm better than this child at shock magics." Athragar stated; he sounded a bit offended that Lilia hadn't mentioned his skills. Since she didn't know about them she didn't feel too guilty that she hadn't said anything. She was very familiar with Erthor's abilities; the trip through Fallen Rock cave was still something she remembered well.

"Good. I could use more destruction mages." Lex nodded at the mer as he made some notes beside their names.

"Who else do you have on your list?" Modryn asked. The mer seemed rather impressed by the volume of members wandering around the guild hall.

"Two more. Ita Rienus and Delphine Jend."

"Yes? Did you want something?" The petite Breton who'd been chatting with a tall Imperial turned around and asked. Lilia recognized them from the Bravil guild hall. "Oh, greetings Master Wizard."

"Good day Evoker. We're just figuring out how best to use your considerable talents." She replied before turning to Lex. "They're both destruction masters. Journeyman Rienus is also well schooled in mysticism. I think you might want to put them with some of our best warriors, we'll want some very powerful units as well as the balanced ones."

"What are you talking about?" Modryn asked.

"Not everyone is a Battlemage. The mages need protection from physical attacks, and the warriors need protection from the spell casting daedra. By fighting together in small teams I think we can compensate for both weaknesses while increasing their strengths. It worked well at Cheydinhal." She answered.

"You're combining people to create super Battlemages? So who would you put me with?" Modryn was smiling happily; Lilia didn't doubt that he found the idea of having his own personal mage to be a fun one.

"If you're very good you could work with me." Delphine straightened her posture as she replied.

"And you are?" The Dark Elf asked with amusement down at the Breton who was looking imperiously up at him.

"Delphine Jend, creator of the renowned spell _Enemies Explode_. And who might you be?"

"Modryn Oreyn, Master of the Fighters Guild. Did you say _Enemies Explode_?" Lilia could see the mer's eyes light up at the name of the spell.

"Yes. I find there's nothing more exhilarating then weaving together destruction magic and using it to blow up Kynareth's fuzzy woodland creatures." The Breton replied, a hint of breathlessness in her voice. Lilia had never met a more bloodthirsty mage in all her travels through Cyrodiil.

"By blow up do you mean burn up, or actually pop?" Modryn asked curiously. Not wanting to disturb the conversation Lilia discreetly tugged Captain Lex back out the door of the guild. If she was seeing what she thought she was then it wasn't something she dared interrupt. Between Modryn and Delphine she'd never stand a chance.

"Is there anyone else you need any advice on?" She asked him as they stood in the sunshine. Lilia made sure to position herself so she wasn't looking at it; it seemed so bright today.

"From what you've told me I think we've had all of the guards arrive already. I know the Fighters Guild members are all here. The mages were the last to show up but I think that's most of them." Lex replied as he rolled his scroll of names up and down.

"What is everyone doing?" Lilia hoped that they were being kept busy. The last thing the Count and Countess needed was a large group of very bored warriors in the midst of their town.

"I've made rough groups up already and they're running drills. Captain Lerus and Captain Darellius are observing; they'll let me know about everyone's abilities and interactions."

"Just the two of them? That's a rather large task for only two people."

"Yes, it would be. Ilend Vonius and Tierra also have their own groups. And Lieutenant Runellius has some people as well." Hieronymus had been pointing around the city as he spoke; Lilia guessed that the exercises were being conducted wherever there was enough space.

"Carius Runellius? He's a Guard, not a Lieutenant." Lilia corrected him gently. Surely the man was overwhelmed with information right now.

"No, he's a Lieutenant. Has been since I arrived yesterday." Hieronymus pointed to the spot on his parchment and Lilia noted that was what it said in the man's elegant script. She smiled to herself, even his letters were artistic.

"Where is he?" She asked.

"In the courtyard. I'll come with you, there are some people I'm not sure how to place or if I should." Lex replied as they walked along the street.

"Like who?"

"The Blades for a start. I'm sure they'd want to fight if they needed to, but I don't think I could coordinate them." Hieronymus answered.

"You're right, I'm sure they would fight. But don't worry about them; they've got their own system." She saw the man grin slightly, clearly relieved that he didn't need to work with the inhabitants of Cloud Ruler Temple as well. "Who else?"

"Fathis Aren. I hear he has a rather unique set of skills." He replied as they walked up the steps to the highest level of the tiered city.

"That he does. I think it's best if you leave him on his own. He's a Telvanni Wizard, they don't tend to share very well." Though she hoped it never came to it Lilia was very curious as to how the mer would act in battle. She was sure it would be impressive. She and Modryn had passed him on his way up to Cloud Ruler Temple as they'd walked to Bruma; the Court Wizard had been very excited. Apparently Tar-Meena had found out something that would aid him and Martin in their work.

"And what about the Arch Mage? Same idea?"

"I think Arch Mage Polus would best be kept near you. He'd surely be an asset in terms of communications and adjusting strategy." The presence of Raminus in town made Lilia feel a lot better about their chances of keeping the motley assortment of mages from causing the Bruma guild hall to explode. Even still she was sure the structure would need a significant amount of repairs by the time everything was over; it certainly hadn't been designed to hold so many mages with so many different personalities.

"That's what I thought. Which leaves Count Hassildor. Did you know that he's really very nice? He invited me to have drinks with him yesterday evening in the Castle library."

"Janus Hassildor? Count of Skingrad?" Lilia was sure she knew why he'd invited the Imperial to join him for alcoholic beverages. To her chagrin she saw Hieronymus nodding happily to confirm that he was indeed talking about the vampire. She sighed softly before approaching the topic obliquely. "He's an excellent conversationalist, isn't he?"

"Yes. We had a wonderful chat. Somehow I ended up talking about you; he seemed to really like the story of how you helped me with those thieves in Anvil." He said brightly. Lilia needed to master her impulse to start chewing on the naïve Captain. She had no doubt that Janus had been highly amused by her adventures in Anvil and she was fairly sure she knew exactly how and why that topic had come up. The man's sources were incredible; hopefully she wouldn't see him too soon. Especially not after the advice she'd given him at their last meeting; she was convinced the vampire would be insufferable about her alleged conduct in the Flowing Bowl.

"I'd treat him like Master Aren. Let him do his own thing; he surely would anyway."

"Why didn't you tell me you were going to the Imperial City? I would have sent a letter with you to…" Methredhel stopped talking when she noted Lilia's companion. They'd stepped through the opening in the castle walls and were now inside the courtyard. It looked as though the group under Carius was finishing a set of archery drills.

"I'm sorry, do I have you on my list? I've forgotten your name." Hieronymus currently seemed unable to place the mer and Lilia wasn't surprised. He surely wouldn't expect to see any of the residents of the Waterfront in Bruma.

"Martabell." She answered quickly and Lilia had to stifle a snicker. Lex checked his parchment with a frown.

"Are you one of the Fighters Guild members?" He asked, still trying to locate the mythical mer among the names. "Or are you not fighting with us?"

"I'm definitely fighting with you. Did you tell him I couldn't?" Methredhel poked an accusing finger into Lilia's arm.

"Of course not Martabell." She winked at the mer before turning back to the confused Imperial. "She's an excellent marksman. But make sure you put her under someone who'll keep an eye on her, she's a bit of a discipline problem." Lilia whispered loudly so that the Bosmer would overhear.

"I'm a marksmer, not a marksman. And I am not a discipline problem." Methredhel said while swatting Lilia lightly. Lex shook his head while he added the name and made some notes on his list. "Can I talk to you?" She whispered quietly to Lilia.

"In a moment. Let me finish here first." Methredhel nodded at Lilia's whispered reply and walked away. She gave Hieronymus a big smile; he'd finished writing. "Is there anything else I can help you with?"

"No. I think that's it for now. It's quite a challenge you've given me. I'm surprised that Count Umbranox agreed to send me and so many of his guards up here, though I'm still not sure why we had to leave so early yesterday morning." Lilia tried very hard not to laugh at his statement. She'd gone straight from Corvus to the guard's barracks. After knocking on Lex's door and waiting for him to emerge fully clothed she'd instructed him to prepare himself and as many of his finest guards as he felt comfortable taking for a journey to Bruma in Corvus' name. To help ensure that Count Umbranox didn't order his men to return to Anvil she'd written a very flattering letter about him and his generous aid and left it for Milona; she was sure his ego wouldn't allow him to look bad in front of his wife. It was a bit of a dirty trick but she didn't feel at all guilty about it. He'd used Lilia far worse before; it was the least she could do to repay the favour.

"Then I'll leave you to your work. I'm not sure I can express how thankful I am that you're helping me with this. If there is anything at all you need from me or anyone else please don't hesitate to ask. It's a big job and you'll need assistance; feel free to make use of the resources at your disposal." She gave him a hearty handshake as she took her leave of him. Walking over to the courtyard wall she noticed Methredhel was chatting with Carius. The two of them seemed to get along rather well; it amused Lilia to see it. She considered Carius to be one of her more upstanding friends and Methredhel to be one of her more illicit ones.

"What is this I'm hearing about you being a Lieutenant?" She asked the Imperial. His group was taking a short break before moving on to the next exercise.

"Did you tell her? You said you wouldn't." He asked Methredhel, disappointment clear in his voice. The mer shook her head. He sighed before breaking into a large grin. "I was promoted two days ago. Apparently it was at the Countess' suggestion."

"That's wonderful! And about time too." Lilia said while she gave the new Lieutenant a congratulatory hug. "You'll have to tell me all about it, but I think it will have to wait. Martabell here had something she wanted to talk to me about."

"He doesn't need to leave. I just want to know why you've put that heartless fetcher in charge of the defence of Bruma." The Bosmer sneered in the direction of Hieronymus. Lilia sighed; she'd tried to tell Methredhel ages ago that Lex wasn't as bad as she thought but the mer hadn't wanted to hear it.

"We've already discussed our difference of opinion about Hieronymus. But regardless of what you may think he is the best person for the job and you can either work with him or you can leave." If the mer couldn't cooperate then in Lilia's opinion they'd be better off without her. "I wish you'd just try and see him for what he really is. He's a fine man, a very fine man indeed."

Methredhel's frown slowly turned into a small grin. "A fine man you say? You think he's fine? So that's why you're so sweet on him."

"Martabell, I'd suggest you stop right there." Lilia warned her over the sound of Carius' laughter; he recognized the magical fire on the end of Lilia's pointing finger. "You're going to make me very angry if you continue in that vein."

"You're not getting rid of me that easily. I will cooperate and I am not a discipline problem." The mer had already crawled halfway up the stone wall and was sticking her tongue out at Lilia as she spoke. "And you can threaten me all you want; you'll find I'm not that easy to hit, you cranky arrogant mage."

"So she thinks. Does she know how big of a target that ass of hers is now?" Lilia whispered loudly to Carius. The poor man started laughing so hard he ended up coughing; Methredhel's angry and colourful curses being rained down on Lilia's head were too much for even the Imperial soldier to take.

They were certainly too much for Jena; the Blade was blushing very hard as she beheld the spectacle of the indisposed Lieutenant and the Bosmer clinging to the wall who was swearing loudly at the Hero of Kvatch. Lilia stepped in front of the Imperial, trying to focus her attention away from the angry Wood Elf.

"Is something wrong?" She tried hard not to start panicking as she asked the question; the Blades rarely came down to Bruma.

"No, but Martin wants you back right away. It seems they've had a breakthrough."


	94. Chapter 94: Kwama Eggs

The clouds obscured the sky above; the light of the moons and the stars were prevented from reaching Nirn. A soft warm breeze was blowing up from the south, bringing with it the scent of night blossoms and death. Sniffing again she caught the unmistakeable scent of the undead. Being one herself Lilia was rather familiar with it.

The ruins above ground stretched out around her and she marvelled at the size of them. Sancre Tor was legendary, the site of Tiber Septim's first great triumph when he defeated the combined forces of High Rock and Skyrim to protect Cyrodiil. The warrior Emperor had later become a God. He now took his place among the Nine as Talos, God of War and Governance. Lilia gave a quick prayer to him on Martin's behalf as she fumbled around in the dark looking for the entrance to the underground ruins. Her small light spell wasn't doing much to assist in her search.

Martin and Fathis had been very excited when she'd returned to Cloud Ruler Temple; Jauffre had been somewhat less enthusiastic. They'd discovered that Martin needed the blood of a Divine for the ritual. It wasn't mere Divine blood that they needed; Martin could have easily provided that. They'd both been insistent that the text clearly called for the blood of a Divine. It was only when they'd threatened to show Lilia their notes that she'd finally stopped trying to argue them out of it. She was in no condition to handle Mehrunes Dagon's writings even if copied in the hands of mortals.

Fathis had been wandering the great hall muttering various things about Ayleids, Divines, and storms while stopping to occasionally scribble notes. Lilia hadn't paid much attention to the mer as she'd listened to Martin's request that she journey to Sancre Tor and retrieve the armour of Tiber Septim. Jauffre had been the one to suggest it as a potential source of actual Aedric blood. Unlike Daedric Princes the only artifact the Nine had on Nirn was the Amulet of Kings, and since their problem was that it wasn't on Nirn in the first place they'd needed to find a different source of Divine blood to use to get it back. She had to admit that the Grandmaster had come up with a brilliant idea. Though she still couldn't talk herself out of her dislike and distrust of him; sometimes she worried he was too brilliant, and then sometimes she thought him a fool. Perhaps he was merely a brilliant fool.

While she'd hated to leave Martin Lilia hadn't waited before preparing herself to go. She'd never gone so long without feeding before and the need was becoming physical. Her fangs kept threatening to extend and she was worried that her eyes were starting to look a bit pink. She remembered Janus' appearance at their first meeting and was concerned that such a thing would happen to her. Lilia had no idea what she would do if her appearance changed; she wouldn't be able to be seen by anyone besides Martin and Janus at that point. Her disease would be apparent to anyone with half a brain. And she couldn't begin to imagine how Jauffre would react if he discovered that she was a vampire. Lilia guessed that a lot of fire would be involved.

The cold air swirling around her ankles and the soft hissing in her mind made her stop wandering about. She looked around carefully; there was a depression in the ground near her. Moving over towards it she saw that it was actually ancient stairs, long covered with mud and detritus. She could make out the contour of the door at the bottom; it looked as though there was a keyhole in the centre of it. She pulled out the key Jauffre had given her. For some reason the ruins that contained the shrine to Tiber Septim had long been locked shut; no one had entered in centuries. Lilia could only hope that meant that there wouldn't be anything dangerous inside. She couldn't see anything with her detect life spell but didn't take much comfort from that fact. The underground ruins were the size of a city; her spell couldn't possibly penetrate that far.

Fitting the key in the solid stone door she was surprised at how easily it turned and how smoothly the door slid away into the wall. Stepping in Lilia faltered, needing to grab the wall for support. The evil that was emanating from further in was unlike anything she'd before experienced. Where the Night Mother's tomb had been like a heavy frightening weight this was different. It didn't make her angry like the daedric script of the _Mysterium Xarxes_ either. Instead it called to her, to the dark serpent within her, inviting her to join it in the most seductive of fashions.

As she walked further into the hall the door slid shut behind her. Lilia barely noticed; she was trying very hard to focus on something other than the alluring magic that beckoned to her, or the cold caresses that curled around her legs. She tried to think of her friends, of the brave men and women who were preparing to defend Bruma and the Emperor, and of Martin himself. The smile the thought of him brought to her lips increased as she walked along the stone halls.

Lilia didn't need to wonder which way to go; the delightful evil magic was guiding her to where she needed to be. The feel of her fangs pressing against her lips didn't register. All thoughts were forgotten as she felt the cold swirl around her, holding her entire body in an ethereal dark embrace. She smiled wider as she walked on, drawn by the lure of the beautiful evil inside the ruins. She started humming tunelessly, trying to join along with the happy song of the black snake within her.

She didn't feel anything else at all except the decadent sensation of evil within and evil without. It felt so good, so right, so natural. It felt like she was where she needed to be. It felt like home.

* * *

"Are you sure it isn't Malada?" Fathis asked him for the third time. Martin tossed his quill down in frustration before replying.

"Yes, I'm sure. It's right there in _The Cleansing of the Fane_. It can't have it's great welkynd stone; it was cleansed of devilish magics." He was very frustrated. They'd deciphered the third item soon after Lilia's departure from Cloud Ruler Temple. That had been two days ago and they were still stumped as to the fourth object required and just where they could possibly hope to find a great welkynd stone. The large magical crystals were rumoured to have been the source of the Ayleid cities' magical power and as such were highly coveted by mages and treasure seekers. But the Ayleids had been defeated centuries ago and their cities stood empty, the only barrier to looters and adventurers their traps and the presence of undead creatures. Martin was beginning to think that there weren't any great welkynd stones left.

"Maybe we should stop for the evening." The Telvanni said softly. "Perhaps Lilia will come back tonight and then we can ask her. I wish I had a copy of her map; I was sure there were more Ayleid ruins marked on it than this list has. We must be missing something."

"Go if you want. I'm going to keep working." Martin muttered as the Dunmer stood up from his chair. He found that he was having great difficulty concentrating. Instead of trying to research Ayleid cities or decipher the final item needed he found his mind wandering constantly. Most of the time it kept detouring to worries about Lilia. She had been gone far longer than expected.

He gave himself the standard list of explanations for her delay. Sancre Tor had been an underground city of vast proportions; it could easily take her days to explore it fully. She'd walked there instead of taking her horse, the one that the Fighters Guild Master had brought to her from Chorrol and was now stabled in Cloud Ruler Temple. She could be on her way back right now.

But the counterarguments were ones he found more persuasive and increasingly harder to dispel. He'd sent her to do the job for some very good reasons. She'd taken less than two days to tour Cyrodiil gathering aid for Bruma. Granted she hadn't slept and had done it on the back of a remarkably fast horse, but he still had trouble believing she'd take the same amount of time to move through Sancre Tor. She'd trained with the Psijics; she should be able to sense the armour of Tiber Septim. She was also a servant of the Nine; surely she'd feel the blood of a Divine easily. She could teleport if she needed to flee, and she was able to move invisibly and fight well. He'd seen her do so in Kvatch.

And so he couldn't dismiss the idea that she was injured or perhaps even dead in the ancient ruins. At his insistence a couple of Blades had been dispatched to search for her. They'd found footprints in the mud leading down to a locked stone door. Jauffre had told him that Lilia had taken the only key; there was no way to get to her if she was trapped inside Sancre Tor.

Fear ran through him again and he closed his eyes and breathed deeply, trying hard to calm himself. The idea was horrifying; he hadn't before realized how much had been riding on her. But if she was dead, if Sancre Tor was sealed, then the armour couldn't be recovered. Which would mean that they'd need to somehow find another way to get the amulet back and stop the Oblivion gates from opening.

The Oblivion gates that had begun opening in front of Bruma again. There had been one yesterday and one today. Both times they'd been closed with a minimum of fuss and injury thanks to the preparedness of the defenders but it still worried Martin greatly. He was sure that they weren't going to stop opening until the Mythic Dawn had succeeded in getting to him, destroying Bruma in the process. He'd wanted to go down and see the remains of the gates, to meet the people who were patrolling, training, and working so hard to defend against them, but he'd been unable to convince Jauffre to let him leave Cloud Ruler Temple. He'd not considered ordering the man to let him go though; he felt rather vulnerable without Lilia around to protect him. While Baurus was an excellent warrior he wasn't as strong a mage as she was. And Martin still wasn't sure just what Wulfgar brought to the table other than a pendant that had Lilia's detect life spell constantly active and a large silver battle-axe.

Martin stood suddenly; he was very agitated and didn't want to spend any more time cooped up in the small library.

"Are you going to turn in?" Baurus asked hopefully. The Redguard knew that Martin hadn't been sleeping much lately; the future Emperor partially blamed the Blade for that. The man snored when he slept on the blue sofa. At least he was quieter than Wulfgar; Martin had insisted the Nord leave his room last night after he'd been woken from a nightmare that he was about to be crushed in a landslide. A groggy Baurus had been brought in to replace the massive man; his soft irregular snores had prevented Martin from falling asleep again.

"Perhaps that's a good idea." He knew intellectually that lack of sleep wasn't helping his mind deal with the situation rationally. Icy panic once more passed through him; he wondered if Lilia had finally gone irrevocably mad. Martin again tried to push out the unwanted thoughts. Worry wouldn't make her return any faster. Besides, she was merely delusional rather than fully insane.

They walked without talking through the narrow hallways of the Temple. Unlocking his door he glanced at the floor before stepping into the room; it was a habit of his now to make sure she hadn't left any possessions scattered on the ground. But he realized she hadn't been there today to leave things out of place. Everything was as it had been when he'd left the room and it bothered him.

"Get to bed. I'll make up my spot." Baurus said as he walked towards the neatly folded linens placed squarely on top of the pillow that rested on the blue sofa.

"Not tonight. Why don't you go sleep in your own bed for a change?" Martin spoke quietly as he magically arranged some dry logs in the fireplace.

"I thought you didn't want Wulfgar to sleep in here. You complained so much about his snoring you sounded like an old married woman."

"I don't want him in here either. I don't want anyone in here right now; I'd like to sleep alone tonight." He replied while setting the logs on fire magically.

"I don't think Lilia would like that very much."

"She's not here to see, now is she? If you're so concerned about it you can sleep in the hall outside of my door. On second thought get the Nord to do it; I'm sure he's used to sleeping on rocks." Martin muttered darkly. He still wasn't happy with his new bodyguard. Despite Wulfgar's friendliness he didn't care for the man.

"Okay." Baurus said softly. "I'll leave you alone then. Goodnight."

The sound of the door locking itself behind the departing Redguard let Martin know he was finally alone. It was very rare for him to have any time to himself since he'd arrived at Cloud Ruler Temple. Lilia had been a constant presence except for those times that she'd been sent away; since Baurus' return to the headquarters of the Blades Martin didn't have any time alone except for when he locked himself in his bathroom.

But now the room seemed too quiet and empty for him. The only noise was the crackling of the logs in the fireplace. And the growling of his stomach; he'd been so worried he'd barely touched his dinner. It hadn't helped that the seat to the right of him had been empty; he always enjoyed watching Lilia solemnly play with his food in the name of safety. She never did slice up his meat the same way twice; she'd told him that even having a taster couldn't guarantee that poison couldn't be slipped in to one section of the potatoes rather than the other, or put on only one half of the venison, so it was essential that she and Baurus vary their routines. Normally Lilia did the tasting; she'd explained to Martin that as a vampire she was essentially immune to poisons and she'd rather not kill the Redguard. Except she'd staunchly refused to taste the clam chowder that had been served one day for lunch, that task had fallen to Baurus. She also wouldn't touch any sort of salad.

Standing up he thought about the various foodstuffs she'd hidden in his quarters. The sweetrolls were growing stale; he'd found the box she'd hidden in the folds of Uriel IV's massive shirt and had been rather amused by the choice. The oranges and preserved fruits weren't hearty enough. Thinking about it he realized he'd not yet found the jar of pickled kwama eggs and decided to look for those. At least it would give him something to do.

He didn't bother checking the desk; he already knew what was in its drawers. An intensive search of the wardrobe yielded nothing new. Glancing around he realized he hadn't yet checked under the bed; it had more than enough clearance for her to have put the jar there. Kneeling down on the floor he pulled the hanging linens aside and peered under. A small dark shape was hidden near the headboard; Martin retrieved it with telekinesis while smiling to himself. He'd managed to accomplish something tonight.

So when he saw the little black pack fly out from under the bed he frowned. It certainly wasn't kwama eggs, and it didn't feel like it contained any large jars. Sitting on the edge of the bed he undid the buckles and opened it; it looked somewhat familiar.

As he pulled out piece after piece of ruined clothing he realized where it had come from; Lilia had removed it from her Adventurer's Pack. It must have fallen off the bed and had probably been the thing that Martin had kicked while helping her to tidy up. One particular pair of pants had a strange belt that looked as though it had been made out of a series of knotted buckled straps. A black shirt had several large foul smelling stains on it; it reminded him of the time he'd accidentally opened the wrong tomb for an internment in the Kvatch undercroft and had found a half-rotten corpse inside. And there was a dark blue silk robe with a small hole in the side surrounded by a very large stain that looked suspiciously like blood. The final piece of clothing he removed was a pale yellow silk gown; unlike the others it looked pristine.

Rather curious he continued to pull out the contents of the black bag. The next item was a set of leather armour that was constructed for a woman; he saw that the straps on it looked remarkably like the ones on the pair of pants on the bed. Turning it around he noticed several large holes in the back of it; the location didn't match Lilia's scars though. Moving to fold it up he noticed the pauldron; a hand was discreetly embossed in the leather. Baurus had told him why he hoped Martin would never see such a thing. It was the emblem of the Dark Brotherhood.

The sudden realization made his heart drop. She hadn't been delusional at all. Lilia really had worked as an assassin. Hoping that he was wrong about it Martin quickly stood up and removed his pants. Stepping into the armour he tugged it up and was chagrined to note that the leather slid up over his thighs, though it was a little tight. Struggling back out of them he cursed softly; he'd never met another woman as stocky as Lilia was.

Regarding the black pack suspiciously as he put his pants back on he decided to keep exploring it. There were several small cloth bags inside. Opening one he discovered a small milky white vial. Removing the stopper he sniffed tentatively; the sweet liqueur scent was unmistakeable. It was a bottle of skooma. Opening another bag he found this one contained a small black bottle. He didn't even need to sniff the air to figure out what was in it; when he opened it the acrid scent that escaped made his eyes water and his nose burn. It was a very strong poison.

Deciding not to explore any more little bottles he removed them to find a tiny cloth pouch on top of a large book. Opening up the pouch he found a plain ebony band that shimmered softly with magicka. Slipping it on he noticed that the room went blue but that he could see everything very clearly. It was a ring of nighteye. Tucking it back into the pouch he wondered why Lilia never used it.

The large book was titled _The Unpublishable Works of Crassius Curio_. Martin set it aside; he'd always wanted to read it but hadn't dared to. As the Temple had banned it he'd not wanted to risk being seen with a copy. He was a Priest after all. Or he had been, Martin was no longer sure if he was one or not. He couldn't see serving Akatosh in the same way as the Emperor of Tamriel.

The final item was a thin grey book with the words _Ahzirr Traajijazeri _on the cover. Flipping it open he saw that it apparently contained the manifesto of the Renrijra Krin. He put that aside as well; perhaps he'd read it in a spare moment. Lilia's great great grandfather had been one of the founding members of the organization; it would be interesting to learn more about it.

Carefully replacing everything except the books in the black bag Martin frowned deeply. Lilia hadn't made up that story about being a member of the Dark Brotherhood. And she was some strange sort of servant of the Nine; he'd seen her get pushed around by the Gods himself. But if that was true then there was the possibility that everything she'd told him was also true, including the fanciful tale of Stendarr using her to destroy the Night Mother and the part about her being a Daedric Prince.

The Daedric Prince of Madness no less. Martin quickly buckled the straps and slid the bag back under his bed; he certainly couldn't let anyone else find it. The armour inside needed to be kept secret. Her dark past hidden away he assumed a kneeling position beside the bed, his hands clasped in a position of piety. She'd asked him to pray for her sanity and while he'd done so it had been no more than a mention in the standard litany of blessings he always said. But this time he prayed sincerely, imploring the Nine to let her still know who she was, and asking that she return to him no matter what state she was in.


	95. Chapter 95: Milk and Honey

"Where's Baurus? I thought he was with you tonight." Wulfgar asked from his position by the fire. He was holding a small pot over some glowing coals. Whatever was inside smelt good.

"He's asleep; I didn't want to wake him." Martin felt a bit guilty; since he'd asked to be left alone the two men had taken turns sleeping in the hallway in front of Martin's door. Wulfgar had done it for two nights before Baurus had finally insisted that he relieve the Nord of the uncomfortable task. While he'd not minded having Wulfgar sleep on the hard wooden floor he had felt bad about making the older Redguard do so. He especially felt guilty about using the silence spell Fathis had taught him to move silently over the figure of the sleeping Blade and out to the great hall. He'd been intending to go look at the stars; Martin still had trouble sleeping. All he could see when he closed his eyes was Lilia's exotic grey eyes and wicked smile; the realization that she was a murderer bothered him greatly. It just didn't seem to fit with what he knew of her.

"Are you still having trouble falling asleep? I've got a remedy right here if you want some." The Nord nodded towards the covered pot.

"No thanks. I don't take sleeping draughts." Wulfgar chuckled at Martin's reply.

"It's not a potion. It's an old Nord recipe using only two ingredients. Are you sure you don't want some? I made more than enough to share."

"What's in it?" Martin was curious; the herb lore of native tribes was always fascinating to learn. He imagined that the Skaal probably had some very interesting local concoctions. Alchemy had always been a hobby of his, as a Priest he'd made more potions than he could possibly count during his years in Kvatch.

"Sheep's milk and honey. We use bear's milk in Solstheim; it's too cold for sheep. It's a rare treat up there. Bears aren't very fond of being milked." The Nord rumbled softly as he poured the frothy concoction into a pewter mug. "Sit, try some. You need your sleep."

Martin took a seat in a comfortable chair across from the large warrior. He briefly wondered if Lilia had received her scars while trying to milk a bear. Somehow it seemed like something she'd do. Taking the mug he realized that there weren't any other ones in the room. Wulfgar noticed the glances; the Nord seemed to notice a lot.

"I don't need a mug. I've got the pot. I'm used to it; you don't want to do a lot of dishes when you need to melt your water." He said while waving the pot around in the air trying to cool it faster. Martin smiled and took a tentative sip. The mixture tasted very good.

"Don't worry about Lilia. I'm sure she'll be back soon. She won't fail; that woman is as stubborn as a Mid Year day is long. In Solstheim the sun never sets in Mid Year, so I think you can imagine just how stubborn that is." Wulfgar said before taking a hearty swig from the pot. Martin smiled again; the man had a very positive attitude and a good sense of humour. He wasn't surprised that Lilia had chosen him for a lover all those years ago.

"She can be stubborn sometimes." He murmured before drinking some more warm milk. Martin had first hand experience of it; he agreed with the Nord's assessment. Perhaps Lilia was too stubborn to fail. But then why wasn't she back yet after so many days?

"Sure can. You have no idea how hard I tried to get rid of her when she was first staying with the Skaal. That was no place for a girl like her. But she surprised me; there's far more to her than I'd thought."

"Why didn't it work out between you two?" Martin asked, his curiosity getting the better of him.

"What do you mean? Why didn't what work out?" Wulfgar was confused by the question.

"Your affair." He'd seen just how comfortable and happy Lilia was being around the Nord. It still amazed him that she behaved in such a familiar manner with a former lover that she hadn't seen in almost two decades. The way she so casually patted the Nord as she walked past him, or didn't seem to mind if her leg touched his as she sat next to him, really didn't make sense to Martin.

"Did she say that we were anything more than friends?" The Nord frowned as he asked.

"Well, not in so many words. She did say she pursued you when she met you." Martin felt a bit sheepish as he answered. He realized Lilia had never said that she'd actually succeeded in winning the Nord's affections. Merely that she'd tried to.

"Good. Because we weren't. She was after me when I first met her but she stopped that nonsense after she recovered from the attack. I still can't believe what she told me when she woke up."

"What did she say?" Lilia hadn't gone in to too many details about what had happened in Solstheim.

"First she apologized to me. Then she asked if there was anything else she needed to do before I'd take her hunting with me. I knew then that she meant it and I'm glad she did. I don't think I could've killed Gudling without her help." The Nord touched the pendant around his neck.

"Who was Gudling?" Martin didn't know what the man was talking about.

"She didn't tell you?" The Nord shook his head. "I thought she was acting strangely the other night whenever anyone asked about this. Gudling was a werewolf. He'd been plaguing the village for months. While we were able to keep him from killing anyone we hadn't been able to track down his lair. He's the one that attacked Lilia in the first place. I knew she wasn't taking patrol seriously and so I guarded both her and the village. The silly girl let Hurolf leave her alone. As soon as he was gone Gudling came flying out of the bushes and knocked her over. If I hadn't been quick enough with my arrow she would have been dead. I managed to shoot him in the shoulder and he fled. She was a mess though; the impact broke several bones. Luckily for her our Shaman knew just how to heal them."

"But how did she help you kill Gudling?"

"With this detect life spell of hers. She wasn't a warrior, not like any of the Skaal, but she did have that spell. After she was fully healed and I'd taught her a few things about how to survive in the wilderness I took her out to help me look for him. I'd tracked him back as far as a frozen lake but the trail always ended in the same spot. We started searching from there. It took a week but she finally found his cave. It was hidden with illusion magic; I'd walked past it several times without noticing the opening in the rock. Gudling had been a mage before he turned into a beast and still had his magical skills."

"But aren't werewolves just people with a disease?" Martin asked quietly.

"No. There is a cure for lycanthropy. We had it in the village; at any time Gudling could have been cured. Instead he chose to live his life as a hunter, worshipping the moons and Hircine." Wulfgar spat at the Daedric Prince's name. "He was one of the few werewolves left after the time of the Bloodmoon. I made it my personal vow to find and hunt them all down; I'll never forget the trouble the children of Hircine caused for the Skaal. I'd managed to kill the others. Gudling was the only one I hadn't killed and the most powerful of them all."

"What happened when you found him?"

"Werewolves have an excellent sense of smell in beast form. But their mind changes, they become more like animals. They're cunning but they aren't clever. When we found his lair we left and hunted for bear. We each ended up with a bloody hide wrapped around ourselves; the smell of Solstheim bear is strong enough to mask that of people. We waited until midday before moving into the cave. It was bigger and longer than we'd thought and there were a few passages we had to clear before we crept into his lair by mid afternoon. Gudling was sleeping in wolf form; after long enough most werewolves choose to live as beasts rather than men.

"Unfortunately it was still late winter and the days were short. He woke up from his doze and attacked. Lilia wasn't fast enough to get out of his way. His claws tore the hide off her and went straight through her fur armour into her back. I threw my axe and managed to cut off his paw and get his attention before he could strike her again. It was instinct and it was a bad one; I wasn't used to fighting with someone who wasn't a warrior. While I'd kept her alive I was now unarmed and staring at a furious wounded werewolf.

But Ysmir smiled on me that day; my axe came back to me. Lilia sent it over with magic. I managed to bring it up as Gudling leapt at me; I took his head right off. The thrill of victory was short lived. Lilia was badly hurt and we were more than two days journey from the village."

"Was she infected?" Martin asked. Lycanthropy was mainly spread by bites but claws had occasionally been known to transmit the disease.

"We didn't know. Only way to tell would have been to heal her and wait for the next full moon. But what I'd learnt was that as long you didn't heal the wound before cauterizing it the disease couldn't take hold. I quickly bandaged her and ran off to fetch wood. She was still awake when I came back but very pale. She was able to magically start the fire for me and I used the silver dagger she was armed with to do the job."

"I bet she didn't make a sound." Martin said softly. His vampire steward was rather tough. He'd asked Baurus about the first time he'd met her in the prison and had been rather appalled to hear the Redguard's description of her injuries. It had been worse than he'd imagined when she'd told him about it. He wondered what had happened to the guard that had done that to her.

Wulfgar laughed loudly before speaking. "Oh no, she shrieked like a wraith. Cried a fair bit too. But she never asked me to stop. During one of the many times I was heating that dagger she told me she was too stubborn to let Hircine have her for a pet. I managed to get it all done and then she slept for an entire day. Finally she woke and healed herself enough to be able to travel with me back to the village. The Shaman finished patching her up but there was nothing that could be done about the scars. She was such a strange girl; do you know she told me that she actually liked them?" Wulfgar snorted before draining the pot of the rest of the milk.

"So what is the pendant made from?" Martin asked as he raised the mug to find it empty. He was disappointed that he'd run out of milk and honey. It had been a very soothing drink.

"One of the claws from Gudling's paw. She got the smithy to put the silver on the end and then enchanted it for me. She gave it to me the day she left the village; said she hoped that it might help to save my life and so repay the favour that I'd done for her. And it has several times over." Wulfgar patted it with his free hand as he reached over and put the pot on the stone hearth. "And now I'm here trying to repay the favour by keeping you alive for her until she gets back. And I'm sure she will, so why don't you go get some rest."

"Thank you for the milk." Martin said as he stood up. "Wait, why did you need it?"

"I'm not having trouble sleeping because I'm worried about Lilia. I can't sleep because my back is bothering me; I'm not used to lying on hard floors. The Skaal tend to have beds and mountains of furs; it's the only luxury us warriors allow ourselves. Nothing like a soft bed after a day of hunting and a night of drinking."

Martin said goodnight to the warrior and felt a bit guilty as he made his way back to his room. He'd misjudged Wulfgar and was now rather pleased with Lilia's choice in bodyguard. The man had managed to make him secure without ever leaving his seat by the fire.

* * *

Lying in bed he focused on relaxing every muscle in every limb while breathing slowly in and out. He could feel his body start to grow numb; Martin was sure that sleep was about to finally overtake him.

He hadn't woken Baurus as he'd unlocked his door and stepped back over the snoring Blade on the floor. While he was rather pleased with himself and his ability to move around undetected it also worried him a little. Since the door to his room opened in rather than out he really should be having the Blade sleep on the other side of it. But he was more comfortable alone in the room for the moment. He wasn't too concerned about assassins; they'd have to get past Wulfgar and Baurus first.

A small repetitive tap intruded on his mind and brought him back to himself with a jolt. Sitting up he cast a detect life spell; somebody was standing over the prone figure of Baurus and knocking softly on his door. It wasn't Wulfgar; Martin could see the sleeping figure of the massive Nord in the tiny bedroom that Lilia had given him at the end of the nearby hall. And he was sure it wasn't Jauffre; the Grandmaster wouldn't leave Baurus sleeping while trying to visit Martin.

Leaping out of bed he ran over to the door and pulled it open. He attempted to greet the brown-cloaked figure but before he could make a sound he felt powerful magic in front of him. Stepping back he found an intricately detailed cuirass in his hands; Lilia had finally returned with the armour of Tiber Septim.

The door locked behind her and the familiar feeling of magic coating the walls passed over him. Martin was too awestruck to speak for a moment. He was holding the armour of a God in his hands. A holy relic, full of Divine power, was right here in front of him.

He carried it reverently over to the desk and lit the candelabra to get a better look at it. Slowly moving it around he saw that there were traces of blood in the grooves of the raised decoration. She'd done it; Lilia had managed to retrieve the blood of a Divine for him.

Turning around he was surprised to find her missing. He recast his detect life spell; he'd let it lapse when he'd recognized her cloak. A purple form was curled up on the floor by the sofa; she was hidden from view by the large piece of furniture.

"Lilia? Are you okay?" He asked as he walked over to her. He couldn't see her; the cloak hid her from view. But he could see that her chest was rising and falling spastically; it looked as though she was laughing silently to herself. He smiled as he moved to stand in front of her; he was glad that she was fine.

The smile fell as he realized that she wasn't laughing to herself. Her face was covered by the brown fabric but he could see from the way one hand was cradling the small grey book to her chest and the other one was clenched in a fist and pressed against her head that she was crying noiselessly.

"What's wrong?" He asked as he kneeled down beside her. "What happened at Sancre Tor?" He put a hand up towards her head, intending to push back the hood.

"No! Stay away from me." Lilia shoved him back and fled to the far corner of the room. He'd never seen her move so fast. He still couldn't see her; she'd extinguished the candles with a ball of magical frost as she'd run away. The only light came from the embers in the fireplace.

"Lilia, what happened?" He asked as he stood. He walked over towards her; at least he tried to. Martin found he couldn't move any closer; she was holding him back with a telekinesis spell. The book was dangling open from one hand; Martin could see the faint glow of the blank parchment that lined it.

"Did you know V?" He asked. The inscription had been a puzzle to him. The style of writing had been so antiquated; he'd only seen it before in old tomes in High Rock. But the book was modern; the Renrijra Krin hadn't existed until twenty years ago. And the words had made no sense to him. He remembered them clearly.

Know that you are always loved. Thank you. V 

Lilia sobbed raggedly at the questions. Then she started hissing at him like a snake; Martin couldn't describe her voice in any other way. "Of course I knew V. You got into my pack; do you believe me now Priest of Akatosh? I'm a murderer, I'm a monster, and I need to leave you."

"Leave? You just got back. We need your help." Martin tried stepping forward and found that he still couldn't leave the spot.

Lilia laughed bitterly before hissing once more. "My help? Vicente asked for my help; I ended up damning him for eternity. It was such a small request, such a noble task, and I failed him. And now I understand, oh, do I ever understand why he asked me to do it. If I thought I had anyone I could ask I'd ask them to do it to me too."

"Vicente?" Martin had never heard her mention the name before. He had no idea what she was talking about.

"Vicente Valtiere, Executioner of the Dark Brotherhood, vampire ancient, my former lover and my creator. Does it shock you Priest of Akatosh? I bedded a vampire knowingly and I enjoyed it. But he went and fell in love with me and ruined everything. Actually Ungolim ruined everything when he made the decision that I was to kill Vicente and every other member of the sanctuary. The fool; the only traitor in that sanctuary was me. But the Night Mother couldn't see it because I belonged to the Nine."

"Who are you?" He asked nervously. Martin was rather afraid that Lilia had lost her mind.

"I know who I am. I'm Lilia. I'm the one that couldn't do it. I killed the rest easily enough; their souls were stained with sin. But Vicente was innocent, like me. And he was so tired after three hundred years of blood and darkness. He actually asked me to kill him, to end his suffering. He saved my life so that I could end his but I didn't listen; I didn't understand. He even packed my bag for me, giving me his sword to go along with his ring as his way of helping me. And this note…" She trailed off for a moment before suddenly resuming her diatribe.

"Oh, I used to read this book endlessly in our room. I never opened it since. Funny coincidence that you should find it for me, isn't it?" It didn't sound as though she found it at all amusing. "But as good as he was to me I couldn't do it. I couldn't kill him. Every day I regret it more and more because that choice has damned me no matter what I do. Do you truly understand what it is to be immortal? It means you cannot die. There is no peaceful sleep of death waiting for me. The Gods won't let me cure myself and I haven't yet managed to get myself killed. If I stay like this then I'll forever be a threat to everyone and everything I hold dear, damned to an unlife of evil and insanity. And if I end it I'll merely be damned to the Nine Hells. And so I need to end it. At least I'll keep Vicente company."

"Lilia, I don't know what happened in Sancre Tor, but you can't seriously be talking about committing suicide." She was frightening him with the way she just kept hissing out her words.

"There is no other option for me. I can't stay here, I can't feed, I've hit the end. It's been an interesting journey and I'll miss it." Her voice broke and a sob escaped her. "I've prepared my will. I'm leaving you with everything for now; use what you need to get the amulet back. Once you're on the throne you can give my friends the things I've left them."

"Stop this talk right now. You are not going to die."

"You never listen to me, do you Priest of Akatosh? I am evil. Maybe this will help convince you." As Lilia pulled her cloak off every candle in the room lit up with flames. Martin gasped; he had no doubt that he was looking at a vampire. Large fangs escaped from her lips and her eyes were pink; the irises reflected the light like an animal's. Her face was wrinkled and her cheeks stained with bloody tears.

"What happened?" He whispered.

"I turned. I didn't even need to sleep to do it; the evil magic the Underking left in Sancre Tor did it for me. And it felt so good. I lost myself to it, basked in it, soaked it up and sang with pleasure. But the Nine wouldn't let me stay in the dark. The armour called to me; Talos somehow found me in the blackness. Once I took hold of it I remembered myself and teleported back to my anchor; it was in a small cave near here. And then I had to move invisibly through the Blades to you. Roliand caught me with the detect life spell I taught him; good thing I didn't teach him about how to catch a liar. I managed to convince him that I was diseased and needed to see you right away to get cured. Then I charmed him and ordered him not to tell anyone else I was back. Try not to let Jauffre dismiss him for that breach of protocol."

"How can we get you to turn back?" Martin didn't like how she just kept chatting with him; while she was clearly upset he had the impression that she really intended to leave here and die.

"We can't. I told you this is the end for me. If I feed I'll sleep, and if I sleep then I'll become the Madgod. Do you know why Methredhel had to clean up my house? Because I slept there the night before I met you. And when I woke up I was Sheogorath. I destroyed half of my possessions before she knocked on the door. But she wasn't Methredhel to me; she was merely a mer that was making me angry. I was about to paralyze her and start torturing her when she punched me in the head and snapped me out of it."

"You wouldn't have hurt Methredhel." He knew Lilia wouldn't do anything to injure her friends.

"Oh, I wouldn't have hurt her, but Sheogorath would have. I was planning on stripping her skin from her body and then making her eat it; I wanted to see how long she'd survive before she died. The curse has been getting progressively worse and I can't risk sleeping anymore. No, it's better if I finish it. Nirn would be well rid of my evil presence."

"You are not evil."

"But I am. Very evil thanks to the Aedra. Do you know what vampirism really is? It isn't a disease; it's blood. The blood of Molag Bal according to legend. His daedric blood is inside me and it is just as evil as he is. Normally that wouldn't be a problem for a vampire but thanks to the Nine I'm the exception to the rule. It took me long enough to figure it out; when you're under the influence of the Gods and the Daedric Prince of Madness it can be hard to sort out all of the random thoughts and feelings that you get. There were two gifts the Gods gave me when they accepted my life to use as their own. The first was a way to see if somebody was innocent or damned in their eyes. What a gift that is; do you really want to know if your butcher is a murderer? And it looks as though my eyes are trying to see my brain whenever I use it. But use it I did. Can you believe I thought I was being a good person by only assassinating those who were already condemned?" Lilia shook her head.

Martin didn't say anything; her words had rendered him speechless. He had no idea what internal pressures she'd been wrestling with. She'd tried to tell him but he hadn't believed her.

"But the second gift was the one that's given me the most trouble. I'm sensitive to evil. I can feel it physically around me. Except with Molag Bal's blood in me I also have a source of evil inside me. And it likes to feel evil and it likes to do evil. I've lost myself to it several times before, but never to anything quite so exquisite and consuming as the dark power in Sancre Tor."

"You're not evil." He whispered at her, refusing to believe it.

"I'm very evil. Do you remember me telling you about the guard who put me in the Imperial Prison? I managed to get him arrested for a different crime and he ended up there himself. But he escaped and came looking for me. And he found me in a very bad mood. I tortured him, giving him all of the injuries he gave me, before I bit him and drank until his heart stopped. And I liked it." She smiled in a way that made his blood run cold. "I've also drained two Necromancers and a bandit to death as well. It's always such a pity when the heart fails; the blood stops spurting and then you either need to hold them up to let gravity help pull down the last drops or start sucking."

"There is a cure…"

"Of course there is a cure. I've got it in my pack. I've had it for weeks. But the Nine won't let me take it." Lilia suddenly started shouting at him. "Do you not think that I've already thought of it? That I haven't spent hours trying to figure out how to prevent this very situation from happening? I have no other option!"

"You can't leave us. I won't let you do it."

"You don't understand anything. I'm not mortal. I often forget that I'm not one; so often I think and feel just like I always did. But my heart doesn't beat, I don't breathe, I'm not like you." Tears were now running down her face again. "I don't want to end it but it's really the only future I have. Do you have any idea what it's like to be truly lonely? To feel like you're standing on the outside of the world looking in? I walk among mortals, I talk to them and share their lives but I'm not one of them. There can be no happy ending for me. No husband and home and babies. Just an eternity of madness and evil and death. They'll all grow old and die and leave me here alone. I always end up alone." She was sobbing again. Her left hand covered her mouth while her other arm cradled herself. Her right hand was still clutching _Ahzirr Traajijazeri_.

"Lilia, there has to be a way to fix this." Martin tried moving forward but she still had him trapped in his spot on the carpet. She stopped crying and stared at him with those awful pink eyes of hers.

"There is. I'm going to leave here now and go to Dive Rock. While I can't watch the sunset I can watch the sunrise. I'm sure it will be quick; I'm not taking any protection with me. I'd give you my cloak but I need it to hide under as I leave here. I'm also taking the book. It seems fitting to bring Vicente's last message with me as I go to join him. Goodbye Martin. Gods Blessings upon you." Her tears were flowing once more and he barely heard the last words she spoke; her voice was so choked with emotion.

"No!" Martin shouted at her as he silenced her magicka, causing the spell that rendered him immobile to fail. For a moment a brief flash of anger crossed her face before she started running towards the door. Lilia didn't quite move fast enough; Martin's telekinesis spell caught her and slammed her back against the wall. He coated the room with magic so that no sound could escape before walking over towards her.

"You are not going anywhere right now. So let's talk about this."

"Let me go. You don't know what you're dealing with." Lilia snarled at him.

"But I do. You've just told me that the Nine have sent me a blessed cursed evil daedric-blooded Daedric Prince with suicidal tendencies. I think that covers it. And somehow I need to get you back to being my strange undead servant of the Nine steward without letting you turn into the Madgod in the process. It sounds like a bit of a challenge but I'll give it a try. I can't promise you much though; I still haven't figured out where you hid the pickled kwama eggs." He replied lightly and thanked the Gods when he saw her crack a smile. "So how do we turn you back?"

"We can't. I haven't slept since the last time I fed. If I feed then I'll need to sleep and if I sleep then I'll go mad. Now let me go."

"No." He pondered the problem. "What about potions? Can't you stay awake if you just drink some restore fatigue potions?"

"It doesn't work. I'm a vampire; potions and poisons don't work on me like they do on mortals. I've already thought of that. Now let me go." He could see that she was starting to get frustrated with being unable to remove herself from the wall.

"How long do you need to stay awake? Will you always need to sleep after feeding?" He asked. Martin wasn't sure just how the process worked.

"I don't know. Normally when I feed I wind up passing out because I go so long in between meals. But when I used to be able to sleep without worry I found that if I didn't rest right away the urge to sleep lessened after a few hours. I'm telling you now it won't work. Let me go."

"What about spells? That restore fatigue spell could work; it keeps people awake. Exhausted but awake." Martin had used it several times before to enable himself to stay up for long stretches of time.

"Now how would I be able to cast that when I'm passed out? I don't think you understand just how quickly it happens. Most of the time I can't even make it to my bed after I feed. Now will you let me go? I can't stay here and the sun will be up in a couple of hours. So will the rest of the Blades."

"You won't need to cast it. I will."

"No! I will not have you risk your life if I become Sheogorath. I'd probably kill you!" Lilia was very upset with the idea.

"Just like you could kill me now? You're not much of a threat at the moment, are you?" He asked her with a smile. She opened her mouth and hissed at him like a cornered cat in response; the large fangs in her mouth enhanced the effect. "So you don't like it that the Emperorling has managed to defeat the Hero of Kvatch? I thought you'd be pleased."

"This is not funny. Now let me go!"

"I will. Once you're back to normal. I think it's a good plan; it's the only one we've got. We might as well get started. Now open wide." Martin said as he stepped in front of her. He saw that she was holding her lips firmly shut; Lilia clearly had no intention of biting him.

"Now is not the time to get stubborn on me. As your future Emperor I order you to bite me." He pressed his body against hers as he tried to get her lips on his neck. Judging by the lack of soft breath on it he guessed that she'd stopped breathing.

"Lilia, please. I thought I lost you once already; I'm not going to lose you without a fight." Martin whispered to her. He reached up and tucked the hair that was tickling his nose behind her pointed ear. For a brief moment he wondered what it would feel like to nibble on it. It was the most tempting ear he'd ever seen.

"I can't do this without you. I need you." As he murmured to her his lips brushed against her earlobe and he felt her shiver. "Please. Trust me like I trust you."

The agony that tore through him caused him to gasp, the bite hurt far more than he'd anticipated. Martin lost control of his telekinesis spell and found his arms pinned to his sides; the vampire had him trapped in a tight embrace. He closed his eyes and hoped that it would be over soon. The pain was more then he thought he could bear, but it wasn't coming from his neck.

The anger and sadness and hatred ate away at him from the inside. It wasn't directed outwards but strictly within. The self-loathing was staggering. He felt like all joy and colour had been removed from his world, that he'd need to forever live in darkness. Despair hung over him, a heavy weight that crushed his heart. Everything was black.

Except for the tiny glow of golden light in the midst of the darkness. The glow got brighter and he tried to identify it. It felt like a mother's gentle touch, or a lover's soft embrace. It felt like…

Restoration magic and silk. Martin found himself on the carpet; Lilia had released him after casting a cure disease spell and healing the punctures in his neck at the same time. Turning around he looked up at her; he wasn't sure just what the expression on her face meant. She appeared like she used to; her skin was smooth and her eyes were grey. The fangs had disappeared; only the stains on her face remained.

She looked like she was either about to flee, to cry, or to scream. He wasn't sure what he would prefer her to do. As she sank down to her knees he realized that any of those options would be better than this. He reached forward to try and grab her as she fell over.

"Help me." She whispered at him desperately before closing her eyes.


	96. Chapter 96: Antsy

The crash woke him up; Martin found himself lying on his bed. Lilia was looking rather embarrassed as she stood up from the floor.

"I lost my balance. Go back to sleep." She said to him as she righted the chair. He watched as she stepped on it and managed to raise it up so that it was balanced only on one leg. The heavy book of Crassius Curio's unpublishable writings floated magically above her head.

"What time is it? When did I fall asleep? And what are you doing?" He asked as he sat up. While he was glad to have her back and behaving strangely once more he wasn't happy that he'd fallen asleep on her.

It had been an exhausting struggle to keep her awake. Not only had he kept casting the restore fatigue spell on her but he'd resorted to a few jolts of shock magicka as well. When she was awake enough to help him she'd also cast the restore fatigue spell on herself. He was sure it had been over an hour that he'd watched two turquoise helixes of restoration magic running continuously up and down her body. After that he'd sat on the couch while she'd paced around in front of him as he occasionally sent spells into her; neither of them wanted her to even stand still lest she suddenly fall asleep. The last thing he remembered was watching her feet move silently back and forth across the silk rug.

"I think it's already after noon. You fell asleep a few hours ago. And I've come up with a system of keeping myself awake. Since I'm balanced so precariously if I start to doze off I'll topple over and the pain should wake me. As extra insurance this book will fall on my head; my telekinesis spell fails when I sleep." She pointed up at the book. "But don't worry, I didn't nod off just then. I actually lost my balance."

"Why hasn't anyone come to wake me?" Martin asked as he got out of bed. Normally one of the Blades would have arrived with breakfast by now.

"After I put you to bed I freely admit that I abused my power. I woke Baurus up, told him that you ordered not to be disturbed, and that you ordered him to go to bed. Why was he sleeping outside your door? It wasn't a particularly secure system you set up." She manoeuvred the chair legs back on the floor and stepped off it. The book still hovered above her head. She was barefoot and wearing the ink stained green robe; for some reason she seemed to prefer it to her other unmarred ones.

"He snores. I found I couldn't sleep with him in the room." Martin answered. "So then I tried having Wulfgar stay."

"Ah. I can see why you would've ordered them out into the hallway. I secretly used to silence him so I could get to sleep when I was up in Solstheim. Didn't work too well though; I can't maintain most spells while I sleep and I always woke up convinced that an earth elemental was tearing up the camp and about to crush us. Then I'd have to calm myself down and silence him again." Lilia smiled at the remembrance. She walked over to stand near Martin.

"I don't know how I can thank you for what you did. You've saved my life and my sanity. I still can't believe that you dared to let me bite you when I was like that." She said softly to him.

"It was either that or never see you again. As irritating as you can be sometimes I wasn't ready to let you go just yet. Besides, I still haven't found a new steward." He answered lightly. Martin didn't really want to discuss what had happened; he had the idea that he'd somehow managed to feel what Lilia had been feeling. And he was still trying to forget those strange thoughts he'd had about her ear. He was relieved to find it covered by her hair once more. But he was also a little disappointed at the same time.

"You're not going to go back to bed are you? Let's get you some food; I'm sure you haven't eaten very well in the last few days without me to nag you." Lilia said as she walked over towards the door and slipped on her doeskin shoes. The book was still floating above her and she'd left the chair in the middle of the room.

"Lilia, how long will it last?" Martin asked. He hoped he wouldn't have to repeat that experience any time soon.

"At least a week." She'd understood he was asking about her own feeding schedule. "Perhaps more. Your blood is definitely special. I feel like I've got Argonian fire ants running through my veins. At least now I can stop wondering what you taste like."

She opened the door and disrupted the silence spell before he could ask her just what it was he tasted like. Martin smiled and followed her to the great hall. He wasn't surprised to see Fathis already there. Wulfgar was sitting across the table from the mer and holding up his pendant. The mer seemed rather fascinated by it.

"What have you done? What are you doing?" Jauffre asked Lilia angrily; the Grandmaster had pulled out his katana at the sight of her as he'd risen from his seat near the fire. He didn't seem happy to have her back, and he wasn't too impressed by the book magically suspended above her either.

"Put that away." Martin told the Breton as he stepped between Jauffre and Lilia. He was not about to let her get killed right after he'd gone through a night like that.

"She moved through Cloud Ruler Temple like a thief last night. She's made me dismiss one of my best Blades for dereliction of duty. And I'm convinced she gave the orders to leave you undisturbed. She's up to something and I want to know what it is." Jauffre answered as he gestured with the ancient sword. Martin felt less annoyed at him; it did sound rather bad when put that way.

"Jauffre. I don't think there are words in any language on Nirn that can possibly express just how I feel about seeing you again." Lilia's far too happy voice came from behind Martin. He didn't need to turn around to look at her; he was certain she was wearing one of her far too large smiles. "And I think you've settled the debate for me. You're definitely a fool if you dismissed Roliand. He's the only one of the Blades that caught me; if you want to dismiss anyone get rid of the rest of them."

"Where did you learn to move so stealthily? From your fellow guild members on the Waterfront? Nobody has ever broken in to Cloud Ruler Temple before." Jauffre sounded very offended at Lilia's actions. Martin was a bit concerned that the bulging vein on the Breton's forehead would pop one day during one of his conversations with the vampire.

"Oh, no, they didn't teach me how to do that. I learnt from the best assassin I could find. Took two years and several larch switches but I finally picked up the skills." Lilia answered brightly.

"You can lie all you want but I won't forget this." To Martin's surprise Jauffre didn't seem to believe Lilia's confession that she was in fact a trained assassin. The highly displeased man sheathed his sword and turned to leave.

"Where's Roliand?" Martin asked before the Grandmaster could stalk out of the room.

"Packing. He failed in his duty to you when he didn't tell his superior about her return despite his orders to do so." Jauffre replied unhappily. "And it's all her fault."

"Re-instate him." Martin said.

"I can't do that. He disobeyed a direct order. We can't allow that sort of insubordination to occur in the ranks of the Blades." The Breton explained quietly.

"Yes, we can and we will. I order you to re-instate him this instant." Martin spoke perhaps a touch too loudly. He wasn't overly happy with Jauffre at the moment. The Breton's need for order and discipline, while admirable, looked as though it might be more of a weakness then a strength. He didn't want the only Blade who'd managed to find the vampire assassin wandering invisibly about the Temple to be punished for his success. Especially since Lilia had told him that the charm spell she'd cast on the Nord had been rather powerful.

He was especially annoyed that Jauffre hadn't known why Sancre Tor had been sealed shut. He was the Grandmaster of the Blades after all; if anyone should have heard the tales then it should have been him. Baurus had been the one to mention the rumours of terrible creatures within the ruins yesterday when the topic of Lilia's disappearance had come up yet again; he'd read about it in _The Legendary City of Sancre Tor _in the Temple's library. Martin was worried that the Redguard had fallen for his steward; somehow all of their conversations turned towards a discussion of her when they were alone.

"I do not agree with your decision but I will do it as ordered." Jauffre said coldly before turning and once more walking away. Martin sighed; he didn't like being put in the middle between Lilia and Jauffre. It was a very uncomfortable position.

"Ah, nothing like a little conflict first thing in the morning. Wonderful for the digestion." Lilia muttered dryly behind him. "Wulfgar, would you mind not distracting the Telvanni with the shiny bauble any further? I'd really appreciate it if you could either hunt up some food or track down Baurus. The future Emperor needs to eat."

Martin snorted with amusement; Lilia was in a very odd mood today. He wondered if those fire ants of his were partly to blame. She walked over to the table as the Nord headed off in the direction of the kitchens. Martin went to go sit down with Fathis; the Dunmer was asking Lilia to go get her map.

"I'll go get it so long as you swear you won't let this one get killed while I'm gone." Lilia pointed at Martin, she was talking about him while he was right there beside her again. "But if you wanted to know about Ayleid cities you could have asked Modryn. He's really rather knowledgeable about them." She said as she held out her hand, waiting for Martin to give her his key.

"That would have been quite helpful to know. Too bad you weren't here to share that." Fathis replied archly to the vampire that was currently running out of the room. He looked over to Martin with that inscrutable grin of his. "Did you finally get some sleep? You look much more rested and relaxed today. I don't supposed that interesting bedtime reading Lilia is currently wandering around with above her head has anything to do with it."

"No, it doesn't." He shook his head. The mage had noticed the ribald nature of the tome that Lilia was still floating above herself. He'd read several chapters in the last couple of days; it was a very captivating body of work.

"So what puzzle shall we frustrate ourselves with today? The fourth item or the elusive great welkynd stone?" The mer asked in a cheerful tone. Martin appreciated the way the Dark Elf hadn't let the lack of progress of the past few days drag his spirits down. But he supposed that being centuries old probably taught one a lot about patience.

"Great welkynd stone?" Lilia asked as she came into the room. "I've never heard of such a thing. Here you go." She lay out the well-marked map on the table. Fathis immediately started studying it.

"Vindasel. That sounds Ayleid and it's not on our list. What's in there?" He asked excitedly.

"No idea. Never went in it. I've never been into most of these places; I just marked them down when I passed by. I still think you should get Modryn up here to help you. The mer's been in far more ruins then I have. We can send a Blade down to go fetch him."

"No, it's his turn to fight today. He'll be busy for a while." Fathis answered absently.

"Fight? Fight what?" Lilia was clearly confused by the Dunmer's talk. Martin realized that she didn't know what had been happening near Bruma while she'd been gone.

"The daedra of course. It's almost time for the daily game of 'close the Oblivion gate.' They're getting quite good at it. Watch it!" The mer pulled his fingers back as the heavy book bounced off of Lilia's head and on to the table.

"Daily Oblivion gates!" She exclaimed while rubbing restoration magic into the top of her head. "How long has this been going on?"

"It started the day after you left. They open every day in the early afternoon. You should see it; they're taking turns defending against the daedra and closing the portal. It's become a quaint pastime to watch our fighters at work; people bring picnics to eat while viewing from the safety of the top of the city wall." The Telvanni answered with an amused grin to the vampire who'd begun pacing quickly up and down the aisle between the tables.

"Oblivion gates! Every day! I should go help. But I can't go, you wanted my help finding this great welkynd stone. But I don't think I'll be much help with an Oblivion gate outside of Bruma. Oh dear." Lilia muttered to herself and Martin resisted the urge to magically force her to sit down for a moment. He now understood what Baurus had meant about Lilia's restless energy the night she'd kept pestering the Blade in the Imperial City.

"You're not going to stop doing that, are you?" He asked. Lilia regarded him curiously as she stalked past him.

"Doing what? I'm not doing anything. Do you think I'm doing something? Do you need me to do something?" She replied rapidly as she continued to pace. Martin laughed; he'd never seen her so wound up before.

"Why don't you take your lunch and go watch the proceedings and leave us here in peace?" Fathis asked.

"I can't. I'm not leaving Martin alone with daedra about." Lilia answered quickly.

"Then I'll go with you." Martin said. He'd been dying to get out of Cloud Ruler Temple for a while. "We can make it a working picnic. Besides, I'd like to meet some of the brave warriors who are working so hard to keep everyone alive. I've not met anyone besides Fathis, Count Hassildor, and Methredhel."

Lilia stopped pacing and whirled to stare at him. She was studying him; it was as if she was trying to see through him. After a moment she smiled.

"I'm so proud; the little Emperorling is starting to grow up. I think it's high time you finally got out among your loyal citizens. A picnic sounds like a marvellous idea. And I'm sure Jauffre will just hate it. But first you need to put your powers of persuasion to work and tell me just how it is that you plan on not getting yourself killed outside the walls of Cloud Ruler Temple." Her words caused Martin to sigh; she was so unpredictable and strange sometimes. He'd rather missed it.

* * *

She glanced over at the invisible figure beside her before looking back to the groups assembled below. Between herself, Fathis, and Martin's spells as well as the variety of enchantments he had on his fingers she was sure that nothing could possibly harm the future Emperor as he watched what was about to happen. Just to make sure she'd tossed small rocks at Martin as they'd walked down the road from Cloud Ruler Temple and had sent various destruction spells at him. The rocks had been deflected by the strong shield spell on him and the magicka had either been resisted, absorbed, or reflected. Lilia still remembered the way her teeth had clattered briefly after her small shock spell had been sent back to her. Martin had been rather unimpressed by her continual minor attacks.

Nobody knew who he was yet. He'd just been an invisible figure detected by a few mages but not questioned; he was walking around with Lilia after all. She'd briefly considered going invisible herself for a while. Everyone seemed to know exactly who she was and she didn't know half of their names. A lot of the faces were familiar though. She'd seen most of them in her travels around Cyrodiil and her work with the various guilds.

The group had managed to get a good spot on the wall; Wulfgar and Baurus had come with them as well for extra protection. An unsettling feeling in the air made her frown. The Oblivion gate was about to open; looking around she noticed a few mages on the rocky plane shift uneasily. They could sense the change too.

She studied the way that everyone had been deployed. Archers stood on the high ground, bows at the ready. The mages and fighters were mixed together; it looked as though the more powerful ones were stationed in front. Lilia spotted Modryn standing beside Delphine Jend; the two had been paired together. A few mages wandered around behind the group; she recognized Cirroc from the Bruma Temple. She guessed they were there to act as healers; Cirroc was highly skilled in restoration magic.

The arrival of the shimmering portal caused Lilia to gasp; she'd never been so close to one when it had opened. The unnatural feeling it caused was distinctly unpleasant. But even it couldn't block out the strange sensation that was coursing through her body; Martin's blood was something she'd never encountered before. It felt like sparkling magical fire inside her limbs, occasionally popping here and there. It wasn't painful but it wasn't soothing. It made her feel very restless.

As the daedra began pouring out of the gate Lilia felt Martin grab her near hand. Risking a glance at him she could see by the way his invisible body was reacting he was very nervous at the sight. She was too. It seemed like there were so many of them. Lilia questioned the wisdom in letting Martin come down here. She'd been so impressed by his desire to meet some of the brave people defending Bruma; it was something she thought a leader should do. Lilia also thought it would be a good idea for the citizens to see him, to know that there was indeed an heir and he was indeed up at Cloud Ruler Temple. She still found it surprising at how high morale was among the warriors; they'd never even seen the mysterious future Emperor.

But the fact that they were fighting daily, even though it was in rotation, concerned her. How many days would they happily put themselves in danger in the name of an unknown Emperor and the memory of those who had died at Kvatch? She felt they needed to see Martin. But not all of them at once and not right now; after the battle she wanted to take him up to the Castle. At the very least he should meet the Count and Countess. And it would be a safe place to talk with Modryn.

Fathis had explained about the need to find a great welkynd stone in an Ayleid ruin on their way down to Bruma. Lilia had suggested not only consulting the Fighters Guild Master but also searching the Countess' library. Due to her obsession with the Akaviri Narina had collected several rare history books; Lilia thought that perhaps they might mention something about the Ayleids as well.

She gave Martin's hand a soft squeeze in reassurance. She was a little worried that the sight might be too much for him to handle; he'd been at Kvatch when the gates had opened and she remembered how he'd called it traumatic. Watching as the daedra rushed forward at the defenders she could understand why. Lilia couldn't imagine what it would have been like to see that coming down the streets of one's home city without warning.

There were dremora mages, xivilai, and even spider daedra coming out of the gate as well as many lesser daedra. It seemed as though Mehrunes Dagon was now sending some of his more powerful demons at them. Perhaps he'd finally figured out that scamps weren't much of a threat.

Well-aimed arrows flew through the air, the archers had begun the defense. Several of the daedra went down due to their expertise. Magical lightning arced from all directions to hit the spell casting attackers. The mages were trying to kill them off in order of threat; closer daedra and dremora mages were the first to fall. As the remaining invaders met the front line Lilia said a quick prayer to the Nine. It was frightening to see mortals in such close proximity to powerful monsters.

"Don't even think about interfering. I'm telling you, they've got a system. They're doing fine." Fathis murmured beside her. Lilia had been wondering if she could magically toss the daedra back towards the gate from this far distance, or if she should jump over the wall with the aid of a slowfall spell and run into the middle of the melee.

"Get him! I'll take care of the spiderling." Lilia's ears caught the Breton's faint shout of encouragement in the midst of the cries and sounds of battle. She cast the spell that Fathis had taught her to help her hear better; she'd taken Janus' advice and had asked to learn something other than how to create atronachs. The words were much easier to make out now.

"You popped it! You know how much I like it when you do that." The mer in front of the petite Breton replied happily while fending off a dremora warrior with his ebony mace. The spiderling that had been advancing towards him had exploded into a moist mass a short distance away from him. Lilia was sure he was grinning; this was exactly his idea of fun.

"Duck please." The Dunmer quickly crouched down at Delphine's gentle command and the dremora warrior's head burnt up in a puff of smoke. "I didn't want to hit your hair."

Modryn grunted in reply; he was busy beating a daedroth to death. Lilia saw that there were now very few daedra left alive. A couple of invisible figures were quickly walking towards the Oblivion gate; the mages assigned to close it must be going in. Fathis had told her that they went in teams of two. Except for himself; he'd closed the gate alone yesterday. The mer had boasted that he currently held the record for the fastest time to close one. She was sure that Janus was now plotting a way to beat it.

Blue restoration magic was visible here and there among the defenders. Looking around Lilia was shocked to see that they were all still standing. She started grinning; it was so satisfying to see that all of her efforts had been worth it. If it had merely been Bruma's guards defending the city Lilia doubted that the wall she was currently on would still be standing by this point.

"You might want to step away." Delphine said in her cultured accent. Modryn rolled back from the spider daedra that was trying to hit him; he'd taken off two of her legs already and the demon was furious. Lilia stuck her tongue out when the daedra's abdomen suddenly exploded sending a shower of liquefied green innards into the air. She added another food to her list of things she'd never again eat; the muck had a remarkably similar consistency to that of squib jelly. She doubted she'd ever be able to look at the delicacy the same way.

"Delphine! Didn't I tell you not to do that?" Erthor was scolding the destruction master. The little mer was even shorter than the little Breton and he looked very unhappy as he glared up at her. His dark hair was currently plastered to his head with globs of daedra goo. "Don't explode the spider daedra. They're too juicy."

"Sorry about that." The Breton answered. Lilia started laughing; she adored the strange collection of mages that lived in Cyrodiil. She felt so ridiculously happy standing on top of the city walls of Bruma watching the mortals destroy the immortals while holding the hand of the man she loved.

With a start she realized that her gauntleted hand still had a hold on his uncovered one. She gently tugged it away and tried to nonchalantly cross her arms. There was no longer any doubt in her mind; she loved the future Emperor of Tamriel. It had been so painful and yet so wonderful when he'd prevented her from running off and ending it all. She'd been in such a dark state of mind; it bothered her how much she'd lost herself to the evil magic in Sancre Tor.

Though it didn't bother her as much as the fact that she hadn't been able to resist biting Martin. She'd done everything she could think of to try to prevent it from happening; Lilia hadn't been able to move or cast anything to get herself off of the wall. The man was a powerful mage. And so as he'd stood there so close to her she'd stopped breathing, trying to block out the heady mortal scent of him. But she hadn't been able to prevent herself from hearing the sound of his heartbeat or notice the way he'd touched her hair. When his lips had brushed against her ear accidentally, she told herself it had to be accidentally, she'd trembled with the effort to restrain herself.

But it had been his words that had broken her resolve. They'd held so much care and concern, but without the hint of promise that she'd hoped for, she'd been unable to stop herself from sliding back into her evil thoughts. Anger had briefly flashed through her, at the mortal that was trifling with her affections and his life, and she'd found herself biting him before she realized it. Feeding on him she'd hated herself for it but had been unable to stop.

Until she started coming back to herself. Finding the foolish, brilliant, oblivious man in her arms with her lips on his neck she'd been unable to prevent the warm feelings she had for him from rushing through her. Her fear that he would somehow know just how she felt about him had enabled her to pull away despite the fact that she still hungered. But she'd had enough to turn back into her normal self and enough to threaten to send her to sleep.

His crazy, dangerous, simple plan had worked. There had been some rather frightening moments at first where she'd been unable to resist closing her eyes but he'd kept her awake with any means necessary, including zapping her. She was sure he'd enjoyed doing that just a little bit; he'd been very annoyed when she'd shocked him after her return from the Mythic Dawn. His blood had also helped though he didn't know it. The buzzing burning sensation that ran through her had assisted in keeping her awake almost as much as the restoration magics.

Erthor's voice caught her attention; the little mage had amplified it so that all could hear. The battle was over and he was now floating up various types of dead daedra and explaining what was, and what was not, effective against them. It was a fascinating lesson and Lilia tried hard to focus on the mer's dos and don'ts. It was rather difficult; the miniature explosions inside her veins kept interfering with her concentration.

But not enough to prevent herself from giggling wildly when the mer floated up the remnants of the spider daedra and uttered his words while looking pointedly at Delphine.

"For the love of Y'ffre, just don't."


	97. Chapter 97: Reminiscences

"Morimath? There is no such place as Morimath." Modryn stated flatly. "Let me see that parchment again."

Martin gladly passed over the list of Ayleid cities that he and Fathis had collected from the various books at Cloud Ruler Temple, the history books in Countess Carvain's library, and the information that Tar-Meena had provided from the Arcane University. They'd been cross-referencing them with Lilia's map and Modryn's memories; the ones that they'd been able to rule out based on the books already had a line through them. Modryn had crossed off several more, and Lilia had scratched off a couple. The list was a fraction of its initial size but they still weren't sure where to find a great welkynd stone.

He sank back in his chair and glanced over at the two vampires nearby. Count Hassildor was flipping though a book, trying to aid them in their work. Lilia was currently floating three books above her head as she wandered in circles in the corner. She'd tried to help but had abandoned the work fairly quickly. Martin has suggested that she not read; he didn't like how her eyelids started to close whenever she sat still.

"That's what the fragment said. …_Morimath, where foul king lies immortal in undeath_. None of the other books have mentioned it before. It sounds like the best possible place to find an intact city." Fathis was explaining to the Fighters Guild Master. Martin was still wondering what sort of enchantments the mer used on his hair; his mohawk was magnificent.

"A foul immortal undead king? Sounds delightful." Lilia murmured. She seemed convinced that she would be the one to go retrieve the welkynd stone once they'd figured out where it was. Martin wasn't sure that she was up for it; while she wasn't so vampiric or self-destructive she still wasn't quite back to normal. At least, normal for her.

Though she'd behaved somewhat normally when she'd introduced Martin to Count and Countess Carvain. The Countess had gladly agreed to the use of her library and had offered her own assistance should they need it. As he'd spoken with the Count Martin had been impressed; the Nord appeared very courtly in his mannerisms. It gave him a sense of hope. If the former uneducated prisoner had managed to make the transition to Count then maybe he had a chance of properly assuming the mantle of Emperor. He still wasn't sure he really wanted it though. Ever since the attack at Kvatch he'd felt like his life wasn't really his own anymore. Things just seemed to be happening all around him and he felt caught in the middle of a maelstrom.

"Lilia! I heard that you were in here. What are you doing?" A tall well-dressed grey Orc greeted the vampire from the door. He'd noticed her magically suspended collection of books. Lilia quickly brought them down and put them in a stack on a side table.

"Lord Lovidicus, it is an honour to be graced by your presence once more. May all the blessings of Aetherius shine on you and your charming village." Lilia curtsied deeply to the bewildered Lord. He blinked a few times before bowing in response.

"Grand Champion, it is I who am honoured by your gracious words. Nine bless and protect you." He stood up once more. "Now get over here and give me a real greeting."

Lilia ran over and gave the Orc a friendly hug. She grabbed his arm and began guiding him into the room. Martin noticed that she didn't seem concerned that her uncovered hand was touching the Orc's; she'd left her armour in a pile in the far corner after Janus had asked her to take it off. He'd complained that her constant clinking was ruining his concentration; Martin hadn't even heard the noise.

"I assume you already know most everyone here. Anyone you haven't yet met besides Martin?" She asked cheerily. Martin saw the Orc's eyes widen as he shook his head; the Lord was openly studying him. He suspected he'd be getting a lot of such looks in future. "Very well. Then I'll introduce you."

"I present Lord Lovidicus, Agronak gro-Malog, the Grey Prince and former Grand Champion of the Arena." Lilia waved her arms in a ridiculous flourish; she really appeared to enjoy that part of her role.

"Undefeated Grand Champion." Agronak corrected her softly.

"Sorry. The former undefeated Grand Champion of the Arena." Lilia corrected herself. "I present to you Martin Septim, heir presumptive of the Imperial throne of Tamriel." She finished with an even larger wave of her arms. Martin nodded at the Orc; he didn't look like he was too comfortable with the formalities either.

"Now why is it that a Lord gets a more proper welcome than a Count?" Janus asked wryly. He'd seemed rather unimpressed by the bland greeting Lilia had given him upon their arrival in the library.

"Because he needed to earn his title rather than merely be born to it." She replied with a small smirk. Martin still wasn't sure just what kind of relationship the two of them had; sometimes they seemed to deliberately be rude to each other and yet it wasn't with malice. Lilia turned back to Agronak and indicated for him to move over to a cluster of chairs on the other side of the room from the busy researchers.

Martin tried to pay attention to what the Dunmers were saying to each other but he couldn't help listening to Lilia's conversation instead. She'd mentioned Agronak before but hadn't given many details about him.

"Where have you been? Everyone was getting worried about you." Agronak said as he sat down.

"I was in Sancre Tor. It took longer than expected." Lilia answered quickly.

"Sancre Tor? What were you doing in Sancre Tor?" Modryn asked. He'd obviously been eavesdropping as well.

"Getting lost." Lilia replied with a grin. She gave Martin a knowing wink before turning back to the Orc. "How is Synderius? I haven't seen him yet."

"You know how he is. The crazy mer is having a great time meeting the people, as he calls it. I've lost track as to who he's currently meeting." Agronak shook his head as he spoke. "That trip to Anvil didn't seem to do anything to rein him in."

"Anvil? I hear they have a delightful little Inn there that serves the most wonderful Bosmeri soup. Lilia, have you ever had a chance to sample their wares?" Janus interjected before sipping his tea; Martin was confused by the Count's question.

"Yes. It was really quite wonderful; I always feel so satisfied when I have an authentic piece of Valenwood inside me." Lilia replied cheerfully. Martin was completely confused when her answer caused the Count to start coughing; he'd inhaled his tea rather than drunk it.

"Excuse me." Janus said quietly before mastering himself. "I didn't think that you enjoyed Wood Elf cuisine so much."

"Oh, I'm a connoisseur of all forms of provincial cooking." Lilia replied in the same light voice.

"Really? Is that why you're so fond of that Khajiiti spice blend? I hear it's a favourite with the people of Elsweyr, especially acrobats." Janus was now studying Lilia as he spoke.

"Yes, the Khajiiti really do like things hot and spicy. But in my experience acrobats prefer things sweet and sticky. Pastries are what they enjoy eating, tarts in particular." For some reason Janus' eyes widened slightly at her answer. Martin wasn't sure what the Count found so surprising about Lilia's statement; it was well known that Khajiits had a sweet tooth.

"And what about Dunmeri food? I'm sure you've never tasted Fathis' cooking before." Janus questioned flatly. Martin was now completely lost; he had no idea why they were discussing the Telvanni's culinary skills.

"Well, there was that one time. Tastiest ash yam I've ever had." She said with a bright smile. Martin thought that Count Hassildor looked mildly horrified at her and then more so at the Dunmer who chimed in.

"I preferred your marshmerrows. They were the softest I've ever nibbled on." Fathis smiled and nodded his head at her.

"Why thank you. I thought you'd enjoy them." Lilia turned her attention once more to the Orc. "And how is Crowhaven?"

"The manor or the town? The town's coming along better than the manor. At least people don't tend to suddenly topple over sideways. The planting has been done and so far the weather has been wonderful; I think it might be a good year for the village." Agronak replied with a touch of pride.

"Topple sideways?" Lilia asked with amusement. The Lord sighed.

"Yes. The wall between the kitchen and the dining room fell down. Seems it was being held together with soot and luck. At least there wasn't anything in either of the rooms, though the dust did manage to get into the drawing room and coat the new furniture. Took hours to clean the mess up."

"Mmm. I remember that couch of yours. So cozy, just like this wonderful soft chair." Lilia muttered as her body melted into the armchair. Martin sent a bolt of shock magicka into her; she looked like she was about to nod off.

The others in the room weren't sure if they should be staring at the future Emperor who'd just zapped his steward for no apparent reason, or his steward who was now standing and thanking him for doing so.

"Yes, quite right, not good for my back." Lilia said as she dragged the chair away from Agronak. She returned to stand in the same location as the chair had been. "And what have you been up to in Bruma besides having after dinner drinks with Count Hassildor?"

"Training and fighting. Captain Lex has had me teaching the warriors my tricks. Good thing I'm not fighting in the Arena anymore; they all know my best moves now. But it's a small price to pay to keep Bruma safe. I pray daily that nothing opens up near Crowhaven while I'm here. Though those Fighters Guild members and the mage scholars you sent the village are a real comfort."

"So that's why we're missing some people. I was wondering where Vigdis had gotten too; she's an excellent warrior." Modryn interjected. As the mer spoke Martin noticed Lilia had started gently swaying slightly from side to side but her eyes were wide open. She noticed his curious look.

"The Count and Countess are having their daily dancing lesson." She answered his unspoken question. Martin couldn't hear any music.

"Ah, yes, the ubiquitous waltz. Favoured dance of Cyrodiilic society. Every noble learns it in childhood." Janus muttered as he picked up a book from Lilia's abandoned stack.

"I never learnt it myself. There isn't much dancing in the Bloodworks." Agronak said.

"Oh, you must learn how to waltz. I can't believe I forgot to tell you about it. Come, I'll show you." Lilia said as she began pushing the chairs in their section of the library against the walls. Agronak stood up and helped her. "It's really quite simple. I'm sure you'll pick it up quickly."

"I wouldn't recommend learning from her. I've seen her dance." Fathis said while demonstrating; he was waving his fists in circles.

"That's not how I did it." Lilia scolded. "It was like this."

Martin couldn't help laughing as Lilia began nodding her head while wiggling her body sideways and pumping her arms. His laughter increased when Agronak began to mimic her.

"It's pump pump wiggle wiggle, not wiggle pump wiggle pump." She corrected the Orc. Martin glanced over at the Dunmers; Fathis was laughing so hard he seemed to be having trouble breathing. Modryn was merely staring at the spectacle with a wide-eyed look of horror. He wasn't sure what Janus was making of it; the vampire's book was held up to hide his face from view.

"This isn't the waltz, is it? I can't imagine Countess Carvain dancing like this." Agronak muttered and thankfully Lilia stopped wiggling.

"No. It's most certainly not. The waltz is used in court, that dance is most effective in battle. Come, let's get you into position." As Lilia moved the Orc's arms into the proper pose Modryn shook his head.

"In battle? While you have unusual methods I can't quite picture how that would be effective against anything." He seemed entirely unimpressed by the performance.

"It's highly effective against Necromancers. She befuddled two of them with that move." Fathis replied. Lilia wasn't paying them any attention; she was trying to show Agronak how to move his feet.

"Just pretend you're trying to break my toes. So you try to crush my right foot." She stepped back as the Orc's left foot came down in a gentle stomp. "Good. Now go for the left. Excellent. The pattern is right left right pause, left right left pause. And try not to lift your knee quite so much; it's dancing, not fighting."

Martin watched as they jerked around the room. While Agronak had the general idea it didn't look much like a waltz at all. He appeared to have taken Lilia's instructions a bit too literally; it looked like he was chasing her around while trying to step on her feet. The lack of music didn't help the effect.

"Good. But you want to glide rather than stomp." She said softly to the Lord. He smoothly brought his leg forward before suddenly stepping it hard on to the floor. "Hmph. Not quite."

"I'm not sure what you want. I've never seen a waltz before." Agronak replied.

"Well, it's as if you were trying to push a heavy object on ice. It should flow." The answer Lilia gave caused Janus to put down his book and snort.

"Pitiful. I can't allow you to continue; you're going to make Lord Lovidicus into an even more ridiculous dancer than yourself with your terrible metaphors. You do actually know how to waltz, don't you?" The Count asked as he stood up and walked over to them. At Lilia's nod he bowed and held out his hand. "In that case I ask for the pleasure of this dance."

"I'm sure the pleasure will be entirely mine good Count." Lilia briefly curtsied before accepting; Janus looked slightly amused at her answer. Martin watched as the two vampires began moving to a melody that he couldn't hear. They were very skilled dancers.

"I know she can be rather amusing but it would be helpful if you stopped staring at her for a moment." Fathis whispered to him and he looked over with a start. The Telvanni smiled before speaking at a normal volume. "Now would you tell me again why it couldn't be Malada? Serjo Oreyn has never been there."

As he once more explained what the _Cleansing of the Fane_ had said he kept glancing over to the whirling dancers. He didn't like the Telvanni's words; he hadn't been staring at her, merely watching her for signs of tiredness. As she spun around gracefully under Janus' masterful guidance Martin smiled. Her enjoyment of the silent waltz was plainly evident.

Fathis sighed softly beside him and Martin realized that the mer had asked him a question and he hadn't heard it. "I'm sorry, can you say that again?"

"I asked if you could figure out what this says. Her handwriting is terrible, and there's some sort of grey smudge over the name. But it starts with M." Lilia's map was pushed over to Martin and he tried to decipher the small scribble north east of Kvatch. It was too long to be Morimath. He could make out Mis…nd.

Memories flooded back to him. Lying on a brown cloak, sitting on an Ayleid column, and having a small meal of oranges, stale sweetrolls, and mead.

"Let me see the list." He grabbed the parchment and began reading through it. It wasn't there. The ruins weren't listed among the others. "By the Nine. It's Miscarcand."

"Miscarcand!" Lilia exclaimed loudly as she suddenly walked away from the bewildered vampire in the midst of their dance. She was stalking towards the large table that Martin, Fathis, and Modryn were working at. "Of course it's Miscarcand. Because it couldn't possibly be a coincidence, now could it?"

He wanted to argue that it was merely chance that the place they'd stopped on their journey from Kvatch had been the only Ayleid ruin that could be the fabled Morimath, but he couldn't do it. Ever since Lilia had come into his life he found that there were far too many coincidences for his tastes.

"You're right. It's the will of the Aedra." He murmured.

"Gah! And a larch tree; I should have known you didn't just happen to choose a larch tree to curl up under. Mora's squirming tentacles!" Lilia's frustrated ranting caused Janus to chuckle.

"Are there any deities that you won't swear by?" The vampire asked with amusement.

"Yes. A few, actually." Lilia calmed down and answered. "Azura and Meridia..."

"Because of your grandmother?" Janus asked.

"Yes. And I'll never impugn the Hist or Y'ffre either. Pretty much all nature gods are safe from me. Oh, and Ahnurr and Fadomai. My great great grandfather Faldan taught me to respect them."

"Faldan? That doesn't sound like a Khajiiti name." Modryn said.

"It's not. He was a Bosperial." Lilia replied.

"Bosperial? What is a Bosperial?" Agronak asked curiously.

"Bosmer Imperial blend. He was Khajiit by marriage."

"Bosperial." The Orc murmured to himself. "So then would I be an Orcperial?"

"Well, either that or an Irc. Personally I like Irc better; it's short and simple." Lilia answered quickly before turning to Martin. "I'd better get my armour back on and you back to Cloud Ruler Temple. No sense in wasting any more time."

"Lilia, you are not going anywhere. This is not for you to do." Martin said sternly. He wasn't about to let her run off, fall asleep, and go mad. Especially since if she did he'd feel responsible about it; her description of how she became Sheogorath when she slept worried him greatly. The idea of what she would do to the inhabitants of Cyrodiil if she became the Daedric Prince of Madness was a troubling one.

"He's right. You think you're going to go to Miscarcand, an Ayleid ruin that's hopefully been undisturbed for centuries, and survive? Have you forgotten how you almost got yourself killed in Atatar? No, I'll go." Modryn's words caused Lilia to frown.

"I might not be an expert on Ayleids but I've managed to survive their ruins before. Besides, there is this undead king to deal with. He's probably some type of lich. A powerful mage would be the best one to fight him."

"Powerful mage? In that case I should be the one to go. You may have managed to survive Mannimarco but you're far from skilled enough to match a Telvanni." Fathis added.

"You can't go, we need you here to help Martin." Frustration was evident in Lilia's voice. "I'd rather not go; wandering around underground isn't my idea of fun. But I can't let Modryn go off alone. And I may not be a Telvanni but I am plenty powerful."

"You're powerful enough but you're not the only one. I dare say there isn't anyone in this room who'd have much difficulty defeating you in a fair fight. Except perhaps Martin." Count Hassildor added dryly.

"I've already defeated her, actually." Martin tried not to sound too smug as he spoke to the Count. He then looked back at Lilia. "Don't make me do it again."

"It's not that difficult, is it?" Agronak asked. "I know she couldn't possibly hope to win a fight against me. Even with an ankle biting ancestor bunny."

"Wild hare! Hanarai is a wild hare!" Lilia stamped her foot in frustration. "And she's good at more than just biting ankles. Let me show you."

A fine blue mist on the floor heralded the arrival of a small ghostly shape. Martin was amazed at how tiny Hanarai was; Lilia had never shown him her ancestor guardian before. Judging by the reactions of most of the people in the room they hadn't seen her either.

"Bite his nose!" Lilia exhorted the startled hare. The vampire was floating the ancestor off the ground and over towards Agronak's face. Hanarai looked rather unimpressed with the situation.

"Aw, aren't you just the cutest little dead bunny! Who's a fluffy little ghostie?" Lord Lovidicus started cooing at the ancestor guardian.

Lilia began laughing at the spectacle. Her telekinesis spell failed due to her mirth and Agronak caught Hanarai before she could fall to the floor. The bunny looked back rather angrily at her summoner.

"Did the mean lady scare you, you cold gooey cutie?" Agronak soothed the ectoplasmic wild hare. Meanwhile Lilia was now clutching the table as she tried to keep herself upright while laughing delightedly. A wave of her hand dismissed the ancestor back to rest.

"Tsk. You should have known better; you don't have the ability to command creatures after all." Fathis scolded her softly. Martin wasn't sure if Lilia could hear the mer's words over the sound of her own laughter.

"Defeated without a spell or a blow. What sort of Champion do I have?" Modryn clucked at the steward who was currently seated on the floor clutching her sides. "I'll go get the stone. I might not be a properly trained Battlemage on my own, but I am one half of something even better. I'm rather looking forward to it, do you think skeletons would be more likely to explode into shards or crumble into dust?"

Martin was sure Lilia was trying to answer the question but couldn't do so due to her explosive giggles. A large smile crept on to his face. It was so good to hear her laughing once more. The knowledge that she wasn't about to leave him again anytime soon made him feel rather content.


	98. Chapter 98: A Little Fun

"I appreciate you coming with me, but couldn't you have phrased it in a better way? 'Walking your steward' sounds rather like I'm somebody's pet." Lilia muttered at him. Janus smirked; the strange vampire was being even stranger than usual today.

"You have been acting like a cooped up animal. I was sure you were about to start climbing the walls for a while there with the way you kept eyeing those bookshelves. Besides, we have a few things we need to discuss." He replied quietly as they made their way along the empty hallway in Castle Bruma. He'd cast the spell that allowed them to speak without being overheard. Lilia's current antsy condition made him think it would be easier and more satisfying to chat with her while walking. She'd been pacing in circles in the library ever since Modryn had left to find Delphine.

Lilia had agreed to the mer's plan and had told him what she knew about fighting the undead. She'd also insisted that he and Delphine take several of the Battlemages with them as back up. The Dunmer had seemed rather pleased that he'd have even more mages at his command. Janus found it rather remarkable; he still wasn't sure how Lilia had managed to befriend the powerful bloodthirsty Master.

"I can't believe how obsessed you are with my love life! No, I never slept with Fathis. I've never done anything remotely risqué with the Telvanni." He shook his head at Lilia's words; that wasn't at all what Janus had wanted to talk about. Though it was a relief to know that the old rumours about the two of them were untrue. "Well, except for that time he got me to touch his arrowhead. But that was too filthy even for me to handle so I had him put it away again."

"Excuse me?" Janus wasn't sure what she was talking about but it sounded horribly naughty.

"The Arrow of Extrication. He had me identify it with my Psijic training." She rolled her eyes as she answered. "I never thought you had such a dirty mind. You seem far too prim for such things."

"I'm undead, I'm not dead." He didn't like being called prim. Noble, majestic, cunning, devilishly handsome; those were adjectives he thought applied to himself. But certainly not prim. That made him sound as if he was a fussy old lady.

"Exactly. So go have some fun and get this out of your system. It's rather disturbing to have you always bringing up the subject." He snorted at her response.

"And where would I find someone with which to have this fun you speak of? I am a vampire." Lilia clearly was forgetting the fact that while he wasn't dead he certainly wasn't alive either.

"Hmm." To his amusement she actually pondered the problem. The absurdity of the Emperor's undead steward trying to come up with suggestions as to how the vampire Count of Skingrad could find romance was highly entertaining. "Well, I'd start with those who already know about your condition. Too bad the Council of Mages is so small right now. I don't think Raminus would be interested, and you can forget about me. It would never work; you have such terrible taste in tea. That leaves Maranique. From what I've heard she is highly qualified for the position. But you'd have to try and ignore her personality. Ugh."

"You are being ridiculous. I hope you realize that." He reprimanded her softly. "Besides, Maranique isn't that terrible. You just need to know how to handle her."

"Really? Just how did you end up with a battalion of Battlemages?" Her voice was clearly curious.

"It was all thanks to you and your distinct lack of social graces. I met her in the Imperial Palace after the meeting with the Elder Council. During our conversation your name came up; she'd heard that you'd been presented to the Council. It didn't take much to convince her that I found you as uncouth as she did. She may be a master at charm spells but she's a novice when it comes to court speak. The deluded creature somehow ended up with the impression that I'd back her to replace Raminus as Arch Mage, which would only happen if the two of them became the sole remaining Mages Council members. If you died or resigned then she'd be able to try and force a coup; with her Battlemages behind her and the support of the members of the Elder Council it could potentially happen."

"Is that why she tried to have my note to Raminus construed as a resignation?" Lilia asked.

"Yes. She was bitterly disappointed when you returned and re-affirmed your seat on the council. She's also terribly angry that your interference led to the demotion of her cousin. Too bad you couldn't have Jeanne removed from the guild entirely; I've never yet met anyone so irritatingly ingratiating in all my years at court. And the letters she writes me are epic in length." He noticed Lilia's curious glance. "Oh yes, Maranique and Jeanne have taken it upon themselves to keep me informed of all of your disreputable actions. Maranique's notes I don't mind, but Jeanne's are excessive. At least they burn rather nicely. The ink she uses causes these lovely gold flames to dance around in my fireplace."

"Ah. So that's one of your many sources. But why did Maranique send you Battlemages?"

"I requested them as soon as I heard about Kvatch. I wasn't about to let Skingrad fall victim to the daedra. She was only too glad to aid her ally. It's been increasingly difficult to keep up the façade; she thinks I'm up here to spy on you and Martin for her. That's why she hasn't recalled her Battlemages. Though now Jeanne keeps looking for me; thank the Nine she isn't talented enough to cast a detect life spell. I spend half of my days invisible. Up the stairs here." He pointed at the winding stone staircase in the corner.

"Up? Where are you taking me? And why?" Lilia asked as she ran up the stairs. Janus hurried after her; she was so full of restless energy it was rather astonishing.

"Here." He answered as he walked out onto the Castle roof after her. The view of the city was magnificent; they could see every house, shop, and person below. And there were an awful lot of people to see; Bruma was crawling with warriors, soldiers, and mages.

"Nice view." She murmured as she paced back and forth beside the wall. While he wanted her to stop moving for a while he didn't dare ask her to sit down. Because for some reason she couldn't, and that is what he hadn't been able to figure out.

"Yes, it is nice. Now I'd like you to explain something to me, as I'm rather puzzled. Why is it that Martin is trying to prevent his much more well fed vampire steward from resting?" His question caused Lilia to look at him with wide eyes. She hadn't expected him to notice; she kept forgetting just how observant he was.

"What are you talking about?" She asked nonchalantly, her face now assuming a calm expression. Interesting; she didn't want to admit it.

"Well, I can clearly see by your appearance that you've fed recently; you were starting to look a bit gaunt. I'm rather familiar with the stages that precede the pink eyes and fangs. Therefore he can't be worried that you're going to turn on him. So then why was he unable to keep his eyes off of you all afternoon? If you hadn't told me yourself there was nothing between you I would have thought you'd somehow enchanted him, but since that's not it then he must have been watching you for a reason. And he did shock you when you sat down, and he did suggest that you not sit to read. I'm fairly sure that your back is just fine."

"Godsda…blessings!" Lilia exclaimed. "Yes, I've had a snack. And so I'm tired. But Martin's just making sure I stay awake to guard him, that's all."

"And just where did you have this snack? And why does he know that you've fed? I must say, for someone so hesitant to admit to another vampire your condition it's rather remarkable just how honest you're being with him." Janus still couldn't figure out why she'd told the future Emperor of her unique nature in the first place. All she'd have to do is pretend to sleep all night; why would she reveal something so potentially dangerous unless absolutely necessary?

"It's complicated. Everything is complicated right now. There's so much happening it's rather overwhelming." Her voice was soft and tired as she spoke. "But please don't worry about my condition and Martin's safety. Though I'm thankful that you do."

"Somebody needs to worry about it. Though it's your safety that I'm more concerned about. Your army was not happy when you disappeared on them."

"My army? They're not mine. Technically they are the Count and Countess' forces. But really they're Martin's." She gestured down to the figures moving around on the streets below.

"You can be as technical as you want, but it doesn't change the fact that they are here because of you. Who was the one who visited every Mages Guild and Fighters Guild to recruit members? Who was the one that showed up in the cities and arranged for the nobility to send their guards up here? Who was the one that spoke to the Arena fighters and convinced them to help out? You've spoken in front of just about every single one of them. The thought of an Emperor and an Empire only goes so far; a group like this needs a leader, even if just a figurehead. And they've chosen you, the Hero of Kvatch, to be it."

"No. This is all wrong." Her head shook back and forth as she muttered darkly at the people moving about below.

"What's wrong is you disappearing for five days without a word. Cloud Ruler Temple refused to answer any questions about you; you should have heard the dire rumours floating about as a result. If you want them to keep closing those gates then you'd better get out there and show yourself." He sighed. "You didn't think about how it would look, did you? Right now there is talk in the Imperial City that you and Martin are going to steal the throne. There's even talk that you've kidnapped the heir and intend to march on the city with your army. They're just wild rumours at the moment, but the longer this goes on the worse things will get. I know Ocato knows that Martin is the heir, but he can only do so much. Maranique and others like her won't hesitate to use the gossip against him."

"Why? Why does it always have to be so difficult?" Lilia was yelling up at the sky. He watched her in surprise; he'd seen her in many strange moods before but never quite so angry.

"Lilia, calm down. It's still salvageable. You just need to get Martin introduced to them. Let them see him, get to know him. He's got a certain charisma; I'll give him that. He's awkward and stiff but that can be worked on."

"Would you do that? Would you help him learn how to be an Emperor, help him lead this motley army?" It was as if she was beseeching him to work with Martin.

"Yes. It would give me something to do while hiding from Jeanne, and Maranique will be happy to know that I'm so close to him. I might even be able to get you more Battlemages from her."

"That would be wonderful. So what do you propose we do first?" Lilia was smiling at him.

"He needs to meet people. I think it's time he made himself more available." The vampire laughed at his answer; she was currently walking along the ledge of the low stone wall that surrounded the roof.

"Jauffre would never agree to that. The man thinks Martin should be locked away out of sight."

"Does he now? Has he told you so? Have you bothered to ask him why? Fathis mentioned you've managed to make him pull his sword out at the sight of you. I also heard about the mature way you handled his questioning of the Fighters Guild bill. His description reminded me very much of a certain Magician's performance in the Mages Guild council chambers. Or have you forgotten just how infuriatingly egotistical you can be?"

"I don't trust him." She replied sullenly.

"Just like you didn't trust me? Or Hanibal?"

"You think you're just so clever, don't you?" She pointed at him before sighing heavily. "Very well. I'll try and talk to him. I make no promises though; you have no idea how irritating he can be. So smug and self-assured."

"And the troll called the ghoul ugly? Don't even think about zapping me for that; I'm well aware of your bad habit." He quickly spoke when he saw her hand come back up to point at him again. Lord Lovidicus had mentioned her unusual training methods during one of their chats.

"So will you come with me to try and convince Jauffre to become a social maven?" Lilia asked; she was now walking in large circles around him. Her energy reminded him of a child who'd been fed too many sweetrolls.

"No. He doesn't seem like he'd be a gracious host even if he loved the idea. We'll just have to do it elsewhere. But before we do I'd like to propose a trade. My aid for yours."

"Always something for something with you, isn't it?" She shook her head while grinning. "What now? Secrets? Promises of future titles?"

"No, something much simpler. I'd like you to teach me a certain spell. Fathis has become even more insufferable than you lately; I simply can't allow it to continue."

* * *

The late afternoon sun lit up his blond hair, reminding her of the fields of golden grasses around Anvil. She peered over his shoulder and blinked in surprise. The well-executed sketch was of an eye. A grey eye.

"Anybody I know?" She asked. Hieronymus flinched; he hadn't heard her approach as he'd worked.

"You're back! Where have you been? Everyone has been asking about you and nobody told me a thing." He looked both glad and annoyed to see her.

"Emperor's business. I'm sorry I worried everyone. I won't do it again." Shaking her head she declined the seat beside him on the bench. They were in the courtyard of Castle Bruma. With the warmer weather several stone benches had been placed along the walls; there were citizens and defenders seated on them, enjoying the balmy day.

"Good. Do you know how hard it is to lie to a group of mages, fighters, and soldiers? I had to tell them that you were fine; I didn't even know if you were still alive."

"I'm sure it wasn't easy." The honest man probably had a very difficult time with deception. Lilia smiled and pointed at his sketchbook. "That's very good. I take it that things are under control despite my absence." If things weren't running smoothly she was sure he wouldn't be sitting around drawing.

"Things are going very well, actually. There were a few wrinkles here and there. We've learnt that Volanaro and J'Skar aren't to be sent in to close gates together; they spent ages wandering around in one trying to make daedra do belly-flops, or something like that. Raminus wasn't pleased when they finally returned; everyone was worried that something had happened to them. And the arrival of the Orc warriors from Orsinium caused us to shuffle a few people around, but they've integrated well."

"King Gortwog sent aid?" Lilia had written to him mainly to warn him about the gates and tell him how they could be most easily closed. The request for warriors had been an afterthought. She'd never expected he'd actually send any.

"Yes. They're remarkably skilled. Speaking of which there was a giant Nord practicing with them today; he's not on any of my lists."

"Wulfgar?" Baurus and Wulfgar had left Lilia with Martin in the library and had gone to explore the town. She wasn't surprised that he'd managed to wind up sparring with the Orcs.

"That's him. Is he a Blade?"

"No, but he's with the Emperor. Don't worry about him. Same for a Redguard named Baurus; he is a Blade." The way Hieronymus nodded at her words led her to believe he'd been wondering about Baurus as well. He moved to put away his sketchbook and Lilia couldn't contain her curiosity any longer.

"Who is that?" She asked. To her surprise the Imperial blushed. It made her rather nervous; she did not want another Allian on her hands. She doubted Hieronymus would be so easily dissuaded with rumours of her and J'Skar.

"I don't know her name. But she has the most unusual and exotic eyes I've ever seen; I couldn't resist sketching them." By the way he coloured even more and glanced over at the woman seated across the courtyard Lilia knew exactly who he was talking about. A large smile, fuelled by relief and mischief, appeared on her face.

"You mean Lyra? I'm sure she'd be delighted to model for you. She is so very lush and lovely, don't you think? If I had any artistic talent I'd love to paint her."

"Yes, well, I'm sure she's too busy for that. She's a writer; she hasn't stopped working in her notebook since I sat down." The way he almost squirmed with embarrassment made Lilia want to laugh with delight.

"She's actually a poet. Do you enjoy poetry?"

"Oh, yes. Have you ever read _Lord Jorbinet's Last Dance_? The rhyming structure is superlative." Small wrinkles appeared in the corners of his blue eyes as he smiled up at her. Poetry clearly was something he truly enjoyed.

"Really? I found it to be stilted." Lilia lied. She'd never read the work before but Lex didn't know that.

"Stilted? In what way? The syncopation was a bit unusual, but the overall flow appropriate for that traditional form of poem."

"No, the syncopation was too antiquated even for that form of poem." Lilia had no idea what that form of poem was, let alone called. "Perhaps we should get an expert to settle this. Lyra? Would you mind helping me out with something?" Lilia called out to the Imperial while waving her arm; Hieronymus didn't have a chance to stop her.

She tried to master her desire to grin mischievously; Lex's secret body language was charmingly nervous. Lilia quickly introduced the two to each other, managing to get Lyra to sit down in the process.

"Hieronymus and I were just discussing _Lord Jorbrinet's Last Dance_. I say that the syncopation was stilted, but he says it is appropriate for such a piece. What do you think?"

"Stilted?" Lyra asked, clearly bewildered by Lilia's opinion. She resisted the urge to chuckle; she still didn't know why everyone was so enchanted by the Imperial's grey eyes. They were the exact same colour as her own, and nobody ever noticed hers unless she worked at it. "I can't see how you could possibly think so. It's perfectly period. I find it a charming work; the repetitive rhyming structure is delightful."

"It is, isn't it? And what about the allegory and metaphors contained within?" Hieronymus asked, his nervousness clearly lessened.

"Which ones? My favourite is the animal imagery that calls forth associations of hunters and the hunted. Contextually it reinforces the animalistic nature of man." Lyra's response made Lilia want to cross her eyes. She'd always hated discussing poetry or stories; she never could see the point of it. Either she liked it or she didn't.

"Oh dear, I'm think I'm being summoned. Good seeing both of your again. Farewell!" Lilia hurried away before either of them could stop her. As she did she chuckled softly to herself; while she was certain it wasn't the reason that she was a vampire it was an amusing thought. If only Mara had turned her just so she could aid her in Her work.


	99. Chapter 99: Tiger Lily

Tolgan was doing a wonderful job; Lilia was glad that she hadn't needed to do any introductions tonight. There were so many people for Martin to meet, but since Narina and Jorundr had to meet many of them as well Lilia had happily agreed to let Tolgan do the work.

Looking around at the diverse group Lilia shook her head and smiled; it was still unbelievable that so many had come to Bruma's aid. She'd chosen the guests with the help of Janus; the Count was very good at this sort of thing. Those who were in charge of the defenders were of course asked to be here. The Captains of the Guards, the Court Wizards, and the highest-ranking members of the Fighters Guild and Mages Guild were all on the list.

"I present to you Synderius, Gladiator of the Arena." Tolgan announced the Dark Elf; the mer was clearly bewildered by the amount of people milling around in the salon. Agronak had mentioned that the Dunmer normally visited him in the early evening. She watched as he was greeted by the Count, Countess, and the future Emperor. Fathis hadn't been pleased that Janus insisted on spending time working with Martin on courtly matters; the mer had complained that they'd finally started making progress just after the Count had taken Lilia for a walk. She was still rather unimpressed with the terminology they used around her. She was a steward, not a pet.

"Sorry I'm late; I didn't know there was a party tonight. My picnic dinner ran longer than expected. I heard you were back and brought you this; Arielle found it when she was looking for her shoes. First one of the season." Lilia laughed as Synderius deftly tucked a tiger lily behind her ear as he greeted her with a hug. The mer loved reminding her about her Arena name; he'd been the one to come up with it after all. He was very pleased with his creativity.

"Thank you. I'm sure I don't want to know why Arielle's shoes were missing in the first place. Come, Agronak's been waiting for you." She led him over to join the Orcperial; he'd insisted on that term rather than Irc and Lilia had been unable to talk him out of it. Carius was chatting with him.

"I'm not making it up; she used mop handles. Ask her yourself." Carius said to the Lord; Lilia had an idea of what they were talking about. She'd been hearing her name and titles in conversation all over the room; she was one of the common topics of discussion. Due to the number of times she'd glanced around to realize she wasn't actually being called she'd stopped responding to her name. If anyone wanted to speak to her they could simply walk over.

"There you are. What took so long, did you run into any more gangs of beautiful women?" Agronak asked the grinning mer.

"No, there was just the one. Simply refused to let me go; she said she couldn't get enough of my rather large…"

"Synderius!" Lilia hissed at him; she was not about to zap him in the midst of polite company. Especially not since she was the Emperor's steward and it would hardly reflect well on him to have her behave so rudely in front of so many people.

"Lilia, why can't I say the word brain?" He asked exasperatedly and she was grateful once more that vampires couldn't blush. Brain, he'd been referring to his rather large brain. Oh my, she'd believed it was his rather large… "Just what were you thinking? That I was about to discuss my rather large…"

"Synderius!" She once more hissed at him while trying not to smile. He was such a filthy fetcher; much as she adored it the salon of the Castle Bruma was not the place for such things.

"So where's the food? I'm starved. What kind of party is this?" Synderius asked while looking around the room.

"It's not a party. It's just a casual social gathering of loyal subjects. The Emperor wanted to meet them." She indicated with her gloved hand over to Martin; she'd purchased a pair of gloves and a robe from Novaroma for the occasion. Lilia doubted her orcish gauntlets and practical silk tunic and pant ensemble would have been the correct garb for an Emperor's steward to wear, and she hadn't dared return to Cloud Ruler Temple to get anything. "And I thought you said you had dinner?"

"No. Can you believe it? We remembered the blanket but forgot the food." Synderius gave her a wink as he replied causing Lilia to chuckle. She noted Baurus walking over to them.

"Greetings. I don't believe we've met. I'm Baurus." The Redguard held out his hand to the Dark Elf; Lilia realized that the Blade had noticed the presence of someone who wasn't on the list. It pleased her that Baurus was so observant.

"Synderius. Good to meet you." The mer shook hands while replying with a smile. He was such a friendly Dunmer, it was really quite unusual. Dark Elves were not known for their natural sociability.

"Synderius is a very good friend of Lord Lovidicus and myself. He's more than welcome to join us tonight." Lilia said brightly to the suspicious Redguard. She noticed Baurus' body relax slightly at her words. The Emperor had nothing to worry about regarding the Gladiator; though Lilia doubted the same could be said for any unattached ladies in the room.

"Good. Nice flower by the way." Baurus nodded at Lilia's adornment; she'd forgotten it was tucked behind her ear.

"So when will the singing start?" Synderius asked the group.

"Singing?" Carius was confused by the question.

"Don't they sing in Bruma? Haven't you ever heard _Captain Cyprith's Calipers_?" Synderius snorted when Carius shook his head to indicate that he hadn't. "You must know it. _Oh_ _Captain Cyprith the fetching pirate queen, really knew how to make her men scream_…"

"No, I can't say that I do." The Imperial said with a smile; Lilia was trying to get the Dark Elf to stop singing before he got any further into the song. It was certainly not meant for polite company.

"What about _The Lonely Farmer's Daughter and Her Magic Carrot_?" Agronak asked over Lilia's hissing and Synderius' humming. Baurus laughed at the question.

"Do they still make people perform it in costume?" The Redguard's question confused Lilia.

"Costume?" She had no idea what Baurus was talking about.

"Yes. I was told that it had to be done in costume." He answered while wrinkling his brow. "I was in a tavern in the Imperial City and had perhaps a bit too much ale in me but nowhere near as much as my companion. He was an imp of a Bosmer and claimed that it could only be sung with the appropriate garb. Somehow I ended up wearing a dress and dancing on the table; I was the farmer's daughter. Still don't know why Sam was carrying around such a big gown in the first place. He played the part of the carrot; with his red hair and small size he insisted that the role was his. Funny, I don't remember quite how that night ended. When I woke up the next day the dress was gone and there was a half-eaten carrot on my nightstand."

The sudden laughter Baurus' reminiscence caused made many people in the room look over at the group. Lilia tried to marshal her mirth; she adored Baurus' tavern tales. The Redguard seemed to have lived an even more storied life than herself, and most of it had occurred in inns. Glancing around she noticed Martin watching her; it was a little unsettling to have him looking at her so frequently now. Especially since she was far less likely to nod off. The urge to sleep was now a mere murmur compared to the call for blood. Lilia had no fear of sitting, but she hadn't dared do so around him yet. The last thing she wanted was for him to start shocking her in the midst of his commanders; she was sure that would give them the wrong impression of the future Emperor.

It had been Janus' suggestion to keep the evening informal. While Martin was very social by nature he wasn't yet versed in the finer points of high society etiquette. She'd agreed with his idea of making it easier for the future Emperor to chat with people rather than try and have him hold court. The Count of Skingrad was standing beside Martin ready to intervene if any faux pas were to occur. There was no doubt in Lilia's mind that everyone would like Martin; he was so charming after all.

"Have you gone deaf? Or must I send a miniature atronach to attack your shins in order to get your attention?" Fathis whispered at her. Lilia looked over; she'd heard her name being said but hadn't thought that she was being called. "There's someone I wanted you to meet. This is Captain Viera Lerus."

"Very pleased to meet you. Master Aren has told me many good things about you, and Captain Lex has been most complimentary of your assistance." Lilia said as she shook the Imperial's hand and quickly took in her appearance. Her short brown hair and straight posture brought to mind the proper military bearing of a soldier; Fathis had mentioned that the Captain of the Guards of Bravil was an excellent warrior. According to him the post was more of a punishment than a promotion. The Dunmer had said that the Legion commanders weren't enthusiastic about having a woman so skilled, ambitious, and honest in the service and had sent her to deal with the drunken Count Terentius in an attempt to make her quit. Viera had instead stuck it out; she and Fathis had frequently commiserated over the state of their city and its intoxicated ruler.

"I am delighted to finally meet you. I wanted to thank you again for the opportunity to help out here in Bruma; I've never seen such a fine collection of fighters and mages. It's an honour just to be a part of it." Lilia smiled at Viera's words and noticed Fathis give her a wink; between the empty bottles of wine and their charm spells Count Terentius had agreed to send a contingent of guards, his Court Wizard, and his Captain up to Bruma's aid. According to Fathis there was no worry that the Count would change his mind the next day; the man still tried to maintain a façade of competency and had long stopped countermanding his drunken commands in order to try and save face. Apparently the mer made occasional use of this quirk for his own purposes. She was glad the Telvanni Wizard was on her side; they were a very mercenary group. It was said that if you could steal from a Telvanni then you'd earned it, as their weakness had allowed you to do so. It was even rumoured that murder among the Telvanni was viewed in the same light; it was the victim's fault for not being powerful enough to stop the killer.

"It was all done on the future Emperor's behalf. He's even more honoured that you are here to be a part of it." She replied. The discussion on the roof still concerned Lilia; she realized that Janus had been correct in his assessment of her perceived role in all of this. It had never been her intention to be any sort of a leader, but there had initially been no one but her to delegate duties and coordinate the efforts of the Legion, the Guilds, and the guards of Bruma. Though Captain Lex was now in charge of everyone, with Modryn, Raminus, and Agronak looking after the various factions, they still seemed to want Lilia's confirmation of their actions and orders. She was trying to take every opportunity to present Martin as the driving force behind this rather than herself.

"It's a welcome change from Bravil. I'm impressed with the quality of Bruma's guards; several of them even know magic. It's most unusual and very refreshing. In Bravil I'm the only one that knows any spells at all; the Count hasn't let me implement my training ideas on my men yet." Captain Lerus frowned slightly as she spoke. Fathis had mentioned that the Imperial was very distressed by the high level of corruption among her guards, but due to the Count's frequent incapacitation and his son's skooma addiction, with its host of dangerous associates, there had been little she could do about it without risking her own safety.

"Which spells do you know? Have you learnt telekinesis? It's probably the most useful one I've used, perhaps next to a detect life spell." Carius started chatting with the Captain. Lilia made her excuses to the group and headed off to visit with Raminus. She hadn't had an opportunity to speak with him since her return and she noticed that he kept looking at her, clearly waiting for a chance to talk.

"Arch Mage. How is life in the guild hall?" She greeted him warmly and wasn't surprised to note his unamused expression.

"Are you referring to the Mages Guild? You're a member, aren't you? Funny, I don't remember seeing much of you there." By the way he sarcastically replied she could tell he wasn't at all happy at her latest disappearance. "If life in the guild is too confining for your tastes I could always revoke your membership."

"Raminus, I'm sorry. It won't happen again. Much as you're displeased with me right now you shouldn't even joke about getting rid of me." Lilia quickly filled him in on Maranique's schemes and ambitions. The man's anger was quickly forgotten; he was horrified at the thought of the Imperial Battlemage being in charge of the guild.

"That's the last thing anyone would need; Maranique running both the Battlemages and the Mages Guild. I hope you realize this means you can't put yourself in danger, not until we have at least one more member on the council. I wish I could dismiss Maranique but I can't without the Emperor's say, and with the political situation as unstable as it is I'm not about to ask Martin to denounce her before he's assumed the throne." Raminus was frowning at his glass of wine.

"I wish I could keep myself out of danger but I don't think that's possible. You're right, there should be someone else on the council in case anything happened to me." Lilia remembered that if she'd had her way she'd be dead by now, burnt up by the light of the sun. She was even more thankful for Martin's interference in her plans. "Actually, I've been meaning to talk to you about that. I have a couple of suggestions as to more organizational changes to be made in the guild."

"Really? We haven't made enough already?" They'd officially appointed Deetsan head of the Cheydinhal guild, had transferred Dagail to the Arcane University to be tended to by the mages there while placing Agata in her stead, demoted Jeanne and replaced her with Selena, and had censured Adrienne Berene for her failure in her duties and had promoted Druja to mistress of the Skingrad Mages Guild. Lilia had particularly enjoyed Raminus' description of how that conversation had gone; he'd told the uncaring Breton that she was being removed from her role in order to give her more uninterrupted time to think.

"These are just some small changes. I've finally thought of someone to replace Teekeus. I recommend Delphine Jend to take his role; I'm fairly sure she'd be open to the idea of moving to Chorrol." While the Breton was bloodthirsty she was also a capable organizer; Lilia had heard about how she'd instructed groups in the finer points of destruction magic while assisting Selena with the increasingly complicated task of keeping the Bruma guild running smoothly. And she could hardly be any worse than the sullen Argonian.

"Hmm. I'll talk to her about it upon her return; I'm not going to appoint her if she doesn't want the job."

"Thank you. And I've finally found us another possible council member. Carahil is more than qualified for the role. She's bold, her administrative skills are excellent, she's got a strong sense of duty to the greater community, and she's a highly skilled mage. I'm surprised she wasn't one to begin with." Lilia was a great admirer of the Altmer; she'd heard of Carahil's wonderful habit of taking it upon herself to deal with dangers without waiting for the guild to be approached. Between the stories of her role in defeating a powerful necromancer living in Anvil, her work to solve the problem of the murderous thieving mage on the Gold road, and the way she'd assisted in the defence of Anvil before going in to close the Oblivion gate Lilia was very impressed. And she'd done all of those things with careful planning and attention to detail in order to mitigate the dangers to her assistants.

"Hanibal actually tried to get her appointed years ago after the mass resignation of the council members. That he could have handled better; he'd been trying to keep the group together and made the mistake of allowing them say in the structure of the guild. Maranique managed to convince enough members to vote Jeanne into her role. Falcar, Adrienne, and Dagail were all promoted due to various members' manipulations at the same time. Caranya blocked Carahil's seat on the council, instead convincing the others to make her guild hall leader of Anvil. Traven was very disappointed but was too concerned with mollifying the remaining council members and didn't challenge it." The Arch Mage looked at Lilia and nodded. "You're right though, Carahil would be an excellent addition to the team. Let's vote on it."

"Aye." Lilia happily said while raising her hand.

"Aye. Motion has been passed with two for, one absent. I hope you realize that there is now a chance you'll be outvoted in future." Raminus joked.

"Or maybe you'll find yourself outvoted instead." She replied with a grin while noticing Hieronymus looking at her. Catching her eye he motioned her over; obviously there was something he wanted to discuss. "You'll have to excuse me a moment; we'll chat later. In case I don't get a chance to speak with you again this evening I want you to know that I'll be in town tomorrow and will certainly stop by the guild hall. If you and Carahil are there we can attend to any pressing guild business." She patted his arm before walking away to join Lex.

"Captain Lex, it's good to see you again so soon. Did you wish to debate poetry some more?" Lilia couldn't resist asking and was delighted to see him smile softly at the question.

"That's not why I wanted to talk to you. I did have a good discussion with Lyra though. Have you ever read any of her work? Its emotional depth is remarkable in its simplicity." Lilia shook her head at his question while trying not to giggle. She thought it would be better to pretend innocence as to Lyra's poetry rather than admit she'd heard any of it. "There's a piece you really must read; it's about a lonely troll. Her use of syntax and phraseology really allows one to feel the depth of his emotions as he struggles to understand his role in the world. It's a powerful metaphor for our own questioning of our role on Nirn."

"Really?" Lilia was having a very difficult time not laughing; if that was the same poem Carius had been reciting to her in the dungeons then she certainly was familiar with it. Far more familiar with it than she liked; the terrible rhymes still hurt her mind to remember.

"Yes. We had a long chat about it. It's such a funny coincidence; I just finished painting a work in Anvil that explores the same themes. I was out for a walk when I noticed the landscape before me was filled with metaphoric strata and layers of contextual shadows. In the distance I saw a rather large bird; it instantly suggested the distance between us and the Divines. Are you okay?" He asked with concern as Lilia madly faked a coughing fit to cover up her laughter. The sweet naïve man had no idea how familiar she was with his body of work.

"Fine, thank you. But you said you wanted to talk about something other than art?" Lilia needed to change the subject.

"Right. I've had the most unusual request; Count Hassildor wishes to close tomorrow's gate alone. I'm not sure if that's wise; we really prefer to have at least two mages go in at the same time, and he is a noble. Risking his life is perhaps unnecessary."

"I think…the Emperor thinks that Count Hassildor is very generous in his offer to give the mages a rest. Martin has complete confidence in him." Martin didn't have a clue as to Janus' plans but she wasn't about to say that. However Lilia was in full agreement with the idea.

"I didn't know he was so familiar with our work here." Hieronymus said while looking over to the future Emperor, who was currently chatting with Gan Luseph and Garrus Darellian.

"But he is. And he's very pleased with it; you're doing a fantastic job." From what she'd heard as she'd moved through Bruma today Lilia knew that most of the defenders were happy with Hieronymus' leadership. She could see why he'd been rising so quickly through the ranks of the Legion before he'd hit a roadblock in the form of Adamus Phillida.

"Thank you. Do you think he'd want to be invited to our strategy session tomorrow morning? I was hoping you'd be there as well; we could always use your advice."

"I sure he'd be delighted to attend; I'll make sure he's there." Lilia smiled over at the oblivious future Emperor who was staring at her again. Poor Martin, he now had two vampires trying to help him build up goodwill with the people. One had spent the last fifty years as a recluse, and the other had a terrible habit of making enemies of powerful people. She wondered just how well this would work out for him.

* * *

It was very late by the time they walked back up to Cloud Ruler Temple. The night was cold and clear; the stars twinkled far above. Lilia was staring up at them as she walked along beside him. Martin tried not to stare at the pointed ear that still held a tiger lily bloom in place. It was a battle he was losing more than he was winning. 

"Remarkable how they are always the same, isn't it?" He asked her while pointing up. He had no worry about being overheard; silencing magic surrounded them. Fathis had taught him some very useful spells to control sound; the mer was most knowledgeable. After the social gathering had finally broken up the Telvanni had headed back to the library, intending to continue their work on solving the riddle of the fourth item needed for the ritual. The excitement of being so close to figuring it out was making it rather difficult to concentrate.

"Thankfully yes. I don't see any new stars; Aetherius is as intact as it's always been." Lilia sighed. "Let's hope we can make it intact back to your room. You promise that you'll order Jauffre not to kill me?"

"Yes. I give you my word." Baurus had been sent ahead to try and soothe the Grandmaster. Rather than risk the chance of Jauffre preventing Martin from leaving Cloud Ruler Temple they'd merely left a note behind explaining where the future Emperor had gone. The trip had been well worth it; they wouldn't have learnt about Morimath without the Countess' rare books, and they'd not have figured out it was actually Miscarcand without Modryn's help in ruling out so many other ruins. And he was very glad that he'd been able to meet so many new people. He'd been going rather stir crazy being kept in such relative isolation. Martin was used to speaking with many different people throughout the day; as a Priest he'd been known by most of the citizens of Kvatch and had never been able to move through the town without stopping to chat with someone, or several someones. While the Blades were nice they weren't much for conversation and he'd missed the social interaction of his old life.

"Then that's good enough for me." She looked over and gave him a smile before dispelling the silence magic around them. As she waved up to Arcturus Martin noted that the Blade barely waved back. He didn't doubt that they weren't pleased that he'd gone down to Bruma without any of them except Baurus, and had returned accompanied only by Lilia and Wulfgar.

"Jauffre is waiting for you two in the main hall." Baurus said as they stepped through the gate. The Redguard's face was difficult to read, but he wasn't wearing his usual smile. He waved Wulfgar over and as Martin followed Lilia up the stairs to Cloud Ruler Temple he debated trying to overhear what they were saying. All he could catch were the words 'not like this.'

The warmth from the great fireplace did little to relieve the cold feeling Martin had inside; he felt very guilty seeing Jauffre sitting beside it stiffly, waiting for him and Lilia to join him. Magic swept past him and he knew Lilia had cast the spell that would ensure they weren't overheard. Martin didn't doubt that it would be warranted.

"You've returned safe and sound. While I'd prefer to do this in private I don't doubt that she'd overrule the suggestion. It's become very clear to me that my role here is superfluous. Since you no longer desire my assistance in matters of security then I tender my resignation." Jauffre spoke calmly as he offered his katana up to Martin. This was horrifying; while he'd been upset by some of Jauffre's actions he didn't want him to leave. Glancing over he was surprised that Lilia didn't seem very pleased with this turn of events either.

"Don't accept it." She said softly. "I think it would be a very big mistake if you did."

"I thought you would have been rather pleased by this. Or would you prefer I stay so you can further insult and undermine me?" Jauffre was looking at her curiously. His pale blue eyes appeared to be seeing everything.

"No. I'd rather you stay and explain a few things first. I think Martin should know why you felt that he had to stay unaware in Kvatch until my return. I also think an explanation of why you've tried to keep him hidden away at Cloud Ruler Temple would also be in order. Personally I'd like to hear why you wanted to dismiss Roliand in the first place, or why your Blades are so inexperienced. And I'd really like to know just why you distrust me so much." Lilia answered.

"Very well. I'll start with why I distrust you. I'm surprised you even need to ask. Let's start with the fact that you were the only one who could tell us what happened when Uriel was assassinated. It was your word that he gave you the amulet, but there was no proof of that. And there's also the fact that you were in the Imperial Prison in the first place for reasons we've never been able to determine. It's rather convenient when you think about it." Jauffre gave her a scrutinizing look; Lilia merely blinked in response.

"Then you show up at Weynon Priory dressed like a thief, toss the amulet at me, and run off to disappear from Cyrodiil. And you really did disappear; there are no reports of you for months until you resurfaced again in Anvil. At which point you suddenly join every guild and begin making powerful friends. With no explanation you show up the day before the anniversary of Uriel's death at Weynon Priory once more, ruin one of my chairs, and run off to fetch Martin while ranting like a crazy woman." Jauffre was shaking his head softly as he spoke.

"And for some strange reason on that same day Oblivion gates open up outside of Kvatch. You disobey my instructions to return Martin directly to Weynon Priory and instead arrive just after Mythic Dawn agents have stolen the amulet, the amulet which no one other than you and myself knew the location of. And since that point you've refused to leave Martin alone and have taken every opportunity to try and make me look like a fool. And you've brought a thief, a vampire, and a Telvanni into Cloud Ruler Temple."

"It does sound rather bad when put that way, doesn't it?" Lilia murmured to Martin. She turned back to Jauffre. "I can't explain my actions to you, but Martin is aware of the reasons behind them. I'll only say that my loyalty to Martin is absolute."

"She's right. I know why things happened the way they did. Lilia is certainly not working for the enemy." Martin added. Jauffre's pale blue eyes narrowed slightly; the Breton was thinking about what he'd said.

"As for the reason for my actions I was only trying to do what I felt best. The Blades failed Emperor Uriel and his sons; we lost a lot of good men and women in the attacks as well. The young Blades here are new recruits, still in training. We don't have many agents left, and our more experienced ones are undercover in the field. If they were called in then there would be no way to continue and try to find out what Dagon's plans are. I know that they are inexperienced, more so then I'd like, but that's all I have to work with at the moment." Jauffre sighed before continuing.

"Until they are better skilled I cannot allow them to grow lax in their duties. It was our weakness that led to our failure; only by renewing our sense of order and purpose can we hope to recover. And you've done nothing to help the situation; instead you've openly questioned my authority, disrespected me in front of my men, and refused me access to Martin. I'm not sure what else I could have done in the circumstances." Jauffre looked back at Lilia; she still wasn't smiling, either falsely or sincerely. Instead she merely had a bland expression on her face.

"And I felt the safest place was for Martin to be in Kvatch. I didn't want to leave him there, but Baurus' report stated unequivocally that Uriel had given you the amulet; I didn't know at the time that was hearsay. And your own words were that the Emperor had ordered you to find the heir. In such unprecedented events I had no one else to consult. I'm not sure you understand the allegiance and dedication of a Blade, or the power of the Divine blood of kings. I placed my faith in the Nine and Uriel. I have no regrets about doing so."

"I was mistaken about you. You are no fool. You're brilliant. Now put your katana away and get some sleep; we have much to talk about tomorrow." Lilia's words caused both men to look at her with surprise. She appeared confused at their reaction. "It's late and everyone needs to rest. Further discussion can wait until morning. I'm certain that Martin doesn't want you to resign, and neither do I. I promise that you'll find me far more civil in future. That is, if you think you can put our past differences aside."

"Is that what you wish?" Jauffre asked Martin.

"Yes. I don't want you to go. We need you here to lead the Blades." He was bewildered by Lilia's sudden change of opinion about the Breton.

"In that case I will gladly stay. Good night to both of you." Jauffre stood and sheathed his sword. He bowed before leaving them alone in the great hall.

"Lilia, why…"

"Not here." Lilia cut off his question and pointed in the direction of his quarters. He quickly walked to them with her following behind. Safely tucked away behind the locked door and silenced walls he tried asking her again.

"Why do you suddenly trust Jauffre?" The bitter smile she gave him at his question merely confused him further.

"I don't. I don't trust him at all. But I think it's far safer to have him here under Baurus' and Wulfgar's watchful eyes rather than out in Tamriel doing who knows what. He's a dangerous, cunning, and brilliant man. Just promise me you'll never be alone with him." As she answered she moved over to set up logs in the fireplace.

"Wait. You say that you don't trust him, and yet you want him in charge of the Blades?" He wasn't sure what made less sense; her remarkable paranoia or her strange logic. To his surprised she clucked her tongue at him and shook her head. The movement caused the blossom behind her ear to slip forward a little.

"He's not in charge of the Blades. You are. He just thinks he is. Now get to bed; you haven't had a full night's sleep in far too long."

"Do you know that trying to think like you actually hurts my brain?" He asked pressing his hands to his head in an exaggerated fashion. She started laughing at the sight.

"I'm surprised to hear you say that. Because I am nothing if not logical." Lilia teased him back. Walking over to him she began shooing him with her hands, trying to hurry him off to prepare for sleep. Martin laughed; the way she was enthusiastically flapping her arms at him was delightfully absurd. The motion was threatening to send the tiger lily down to the carpet as the flower slid forward with each emphatic movement.

Reaching over he tucked it back behind her ear. Lilia stopped moving as he slowly adjusted it while reflecting on how much of a contradiction it was. She'd been wandering around looking like an innocent mer with a flower in her hair, and yet he knew she'd done what people considered to be remarkably evil things in her service to the Nine. As he fiddled with the bloom he once more looked at her charming ear. It was very similar in shape to an Altmer's, but for some reason the dark hue of her skin made it look so unusual. His thumb gently traced the outline, feeling the soft curl of flesh that ran up from the earlobe to form the gentle point.

"Don't." Lilia said sharply while stepping away from him. As she pulled off the flower with one hand the other was absently rubbing her ear as if it was itching her. The way she eyed him with distrust made him flush; Martin felt rather embarrassed that he'd done that without thinking. It also made him feel a bit angry; he never liked being guilted and that's what it felt like she was doing as she stared at him.

"Why not? Why is it that everyone may touch you where I cannot?" The words escaped him before he knew what he'd said. All day he'd seen her interacting with her friends, patting them as she moved by them, greeting them with hugs, touching their hands. It made him realize just how much she disliked contact with him and the knowledge rankled. If they were such good friends that she'd trust him with her secrets then what made him so different from the others?

"Do you really want to know, Priest of Akatosh?" The way Lilia grinned bitterly at him as she asked made him apprehensive. Martin had noticed she called him Priest of Akatosh if she was either teasing him or upset with him. It didn't sound as though she was in a good mood right now. "Because I'll tell you. Unlike them I don't sit in their bedrooms all night, watching over them as they sleep, trying to prevent myself from acting on the dark thoughts and depraved desires you cause by touching me. Because I know that you don't want me to act on them. If I did then things would end up being rather…messy."

"I'm sorry. I'll be more careful." He said softly. Her explanation didn't sound good to him at all. Knowing what he did of her he could imagine just what messy might mean, and it brought to mind very unpleasant images.

"Good. Now get to sleep." She said the words with such finality he knew the discussion was over. Lilia made her way over to the sofa as he headed off to the bathroom to prepare for bed. When he emerged he noticed that she was sitting sideways on the furniture, her feet on the cushions and one arm hugging her knees to her chest. As he tugged the curtains around his bed closed he saw that the other arm was held up so that her hand could gently massage her ear. Martin sincerely hoped that she'd be able to contain her dark thoughts and depraved desires for a little while longer. He really didn't want to find out what she meant by messy.


	100. Chapter 100: Burning Rain

"The courier just arrived today; perfect timing. Take it. It's just a small token of thanks for your help." Janus offered Lilia the box he'd returned to the library with.

"I should have known you'd resort to bribery to cause her loyalty to waver." Fathis muttered at the Count. He and Martin were busy reviewing their notes yet again, they were still stumped as to the fourth item needed for the ritual. A large glowing blue crystal sat on the table beside them; Modryn and Delphine had returned before the day's Oblivion gate had opened with a great welkynd stone. The Fighters Guild Master had been smiling in a way Lilia hadn't seen since he'd killed Ri'Zakar. Judging by the triumphant look on Delphine's face as well as the exhausted Battlemages that trailed them she guessed that the trip to Miscarcand had been exactly Modryn's idea of fun. She was also beginning to suspect that it had been Delphine's idea of fun as well.

"You're just mad that you forgot to pack your Telvanni bug musk; clearly you need to resort to your cheap parlour tricks to hold her affections." Janus' arch reply caused Lilia to chuckle. The subtle competition between the vampire and the Dark Elf was very amusing. Pulling off the lid she smiled; there was a bottle of Tamika 399, a mesh sack with seashell shaped lavender soaps, and another small box. Curious she opened it and gasped; it was filled with Nord chocolate. Looking up to Count Hassildor she noticed his smug smile. "Yes, they're from a renowned shop in Windhelm. I've heard that they are among the best in Tamriel."

"Mmm." Lilia murmured as she nibbled on the chocolate she'd popped in to her mouth. She closed her eyes and waved the box in Janus' general direction, offering one for him to try. It was a good thing she traveled so frequently; Lilia didn't doubt that every last piece of gold she possessed would be spent on luxury if she had a more settled life. It really was one of the few perks of being a vampire; everything that normally felt, tasted, or smelt good was even more sensual, delicious, or fragrant.

"If I didn't know any better I'd swear you were trying to court her." Fathis said with amusement; the sight of the Count and the steward revelling in chocolate was a humorous one.

"Then it's a good thing you do, because it would never work. She has terrible taste in tea." Janus' answer caused Lilia to open her eyes and laugh. Looking over at the table her smile fell; Martin was staring at her again. It concerned her how much he kept watching her, especially after last night. For a moment there she'd thought she'd noticed his body responding to her in a most unusual way. She was sure it was just her wishful thinking, though she didn't actually want the man to be attracted to her. Because she certainly wouldn't be able to allow that nonsense to continue if he was.

"That reminds me. If anyone else could help with the matter you probably could. Fathis, I've been trying to think of a suitable lady for Janus to romance. He's been cooped up alone in Castle Skingrad far too long. Do all of the court wizards know of his condition? And are any of them attractive, available, and easily charmed?" Lilia called over to the Telvanni.

"You're being ridiculous again." Janus sighed at her. "Do I need to take you for another walk?"

"They all know about him. Let's see. There's Tsavi in Leyawiin. She is a Khajiit; her fur might mitigate his freezing hands." Janus eyes Fathis coldly as the Dunmer spoke. "No? There is also Chanel in Chorrol. She's a Redguard and has always struck me as a sneaky sort. That could work."

"We are not discussing this any further." The Count's displeasure of the topic caused Fathis to chuckle before continuing.

"The only other one I know of is Elene Hlervu. She's House Hlaalu; he probably wouldn't even need to charm her. Filthy Hlaalu have no problems associating with n'wah and worse."

"Elene! I met her in Cheydinhal. She's very pretty. Oh, and she's terribly sarcastic and bitter. That would work perfectly!" Lilia happily exclaimed while trying to ignore Janus' fierce stare. She hoped he wouldn't decide to set her on fire for her impertinence. "But what could he give her as a gift? She didn't strike me as the type that would want flowers."

"As a Hlaalu I'm sure she'd be quite delighted if he gave her the beating heart of an enemy and a litany of state secrets on a silver platter. But other than her unfortunate birth she'd be perfect for him. Do you think you could convince Count Indarys to send her to aid us?" The mer was clearly delighted with the way the conversation was infuriating Janus. He'd been most displeased that the vampire had managed to best his time in closing an Oblivion gate. Lilia had taught Janus how to levitate up on the roof yesterday. To her chagrin the vampire had been able to use the spell normally; she had no idea why she'd never been able to make it work properly for her. It was actually rather embarrassing for someone that had trained with the Psijics.

"It's worth a try. I'll send him a note when I visit the Mages Guild." She had no intention of actually asking Elene to join them in Bruma but making Janus gave his best withering glare of nobility to her was worth the pretence. He had thought Fathis insufferable with his boasting about closing an Oblivion gate so quickly, now that their roles were reversed she didn't want the vampire to let his ego get the best of him either.

"Do you think Arch Mage Polus would be able to help us with this last riddle? We're stumped as to the meaning of _the rush of plagued rain_. Though I still think it should be _burning rain_." Martin muttered his last words at Fathis; the two had been debating about something ever since Martin's return from the strategy session. He'd done better than Lilia had expected as he'd listened to the plans for the defenders, and had asked some very good questions. She was sure that the commanders in the room had been impressed; she certainly had been.

"Burning rain?" Lilia asked, Nord chocolate and Janus' love life forgotten. "Did you say burning rain?"

"Yes. _In my first arm, a storm. My second, the rush of burning rain." _Martin quoted from his notes. While she wasn't safe to read the daedric script Lilia had discovered that it didn't bother her to hear it spoken. Being stuck in the library as Fathis and Martin pondered out loud had quickly proved that to her.

"This is too much. I don't know what it means but I had a dream about burning rain last year." She knew her words were dark and bitter but she didn't care. Lilia was getting very sick of being the focal point of the Gods' plans. In many ways she wished that they'd merely been using her as their plaything, because the overarching schemes they seemed to have made for her were too subtle and complicated for her to handle.

"I'm sure that's just a coincidence. Too bad it doesn't help us." Fathis said as he opened another book.

"Don't say that to her." Martin whispered at the Dunmer before studying Lilia. She set her gifts to the side and walked over to him. "Tell me about your dream."

"I was standing on a high cliff overlooking the sea. A storm came in, but the clouds were red instead of grey. When I looked up fire began falling from the sky." She shuddered at the memory. "The only other dreams that I've had that were so intense were my memorable recent ones. But this happened well before they started." He nodded in understanding; Martin knew she was referring to the nightmares that turned her into Sheogorath temporarily.

"Red clouds? That sounds just like Oblivion." Janus murmured.

"Oblivion." Martin and Fathis repeated to each other. To Lilia's surprise they began shuffling through the loose sheets of parchment scattered all over the table. Snatching one up Fathis began reading before looking back up at her.

"Have you ever heard of Sigillum Sanguis?" She could tell that he really hoped she had by the way he asked the question.

"That's the sigil keep. It's the top part of the Blood Feast." By the way the future Emperor and the Telvanni Wizard were looking at her she knew they had no idea what she was talking about. "I used my mysticism training on a sigil stone; it felt like it would be useful for enchanting purposes. I was able to learn that they're always kept in what the daedra call the Sigillum Sanguis. The Blood Feast is the name they always give to the tower that houses it."

"Blood Feast?" Janus asked softly from behind her.

"Yes. Lovely names. The hallways are the Corridors of Dark Salvation. Mehrunes Dagon certainly has a way with words, doesn't he?"

"Oblivion. Sigil keep. Oblivion. Sigil keep." Martin was murmuring the words to himself as Fathis resumed rummaging through the parchments. Lilia caught the sound of the temple bells; it was time for her to meet with Raminus. Feeling as bewildered as the two researchers looked she made her excuses and left the Castle, sending Wulfgar to stand guard in the library in her stead. She didn't want to visit the Mages Guild now, but her presence was necessary. There was much to be discussed and council business to attend to. Glancing back she looked up to the stained glass windows that allowed light into the room where Martin was sitting. Hopefully the coloured beams would bring illumination in all meanings of the word to him.

* * *

She shoved open the doors to the great hall, her fury evident in her rough treatment of the innocent wood. He'd left Bruma without her and had run off to Jauffre. Jauffre! Lilia was furious with Martin's actions; hadn't she just told him not to trust the Grandmaster?

Their meeting over breakfast had been a very polite if pointless one. Martin had refused to yield to Jauffre's requests that he remain at Cloud Ruler Temple or that he allow a contingent of Blades to go with him to Castle Bruma. As the future Emperor had pointed out he trusted the loyalty of the inhabitants and guests of the Castle, and that he had to start revealing himself to the citizens who were working tirelessly to keep the city safe. Lilia had been so proud of him; she felt that Jauffre's insistence on secrecy and hiding would have caused Martin to become even more paranoid than herself if he'd been left alone in the Breton's care.

"How was the meeting with the Arch Mage?" Martin asked innocently as she glared at him. For some reason he was wearing white enamelled greaves while matching pieces of armour lay on the table nearest him. He pointed down at his metal covered legs. "What do you think?"

"I'm not sure just what to think. I'd like to know why you left Bruma so suddenly. It would have been nice to have known to return here rather than the Castle." She replied archly while walking over to pick up a pair of gloves. She'd never seen armour quite like it before.

"There was a book up here we had to read. Martin's figured out the fourth item needed and has come up with a plan of how to get it. I don't like it at all." Fathis answered from his seat at the table, his nose wrinkled with distaste.

"I don't like it either. Neither does Jauffre." Janus pointed towards the Grandmaster's office in the side wing; the Breton was not in the room. Lilia narrowed her eyes in suspicion and walked closer to Martin. His body betrayed his nervousness.

"You're not going to like it. Nobody likes it." He said sheepishly as Baurus tugged on the left greave. By the way the Redguard worked Lilia could tell the armour was going to be adjusted to fit Martin. Why did Martin need armour? And such bad armour at that?

"Are you going to tell me what it is and why you're wearing those useless greaves or do I need to guess?" She asked peevishly.

"Yes, of course. It's a great sigil stone." He answered quickly while looking down to the white enamelled metal. "What do you mean by useless greaves?"

"A sigil stone? I have three of those in my pack. I'll get you one." Lilia smiled. That wasn't difficult at all. Why had Fathis and Janus been so unhappy about it? Perhaps it was because they hadn't wanted to give up their own red orbs.

"A great sigil stone. Not what you have, or he has, or I have. No, it has to be great." Fathis muttered darkly while pointing at Lilia, Janus, and himself. "And do you know where we can get a great sigil stone?"

"If there was any other option you know I would take it. I don't like the idea any more than you do." Martin snapped back at the mer; the tension in the air was palpable. He sighed before looking over at Lilia. "Great sigil stones only come from one place. A great gate. We need to let a great gate open in front of Bruma and then send someone inside to close it while getting the stone."

Lilia digested the news. It was incredibly risky. If they failed, if the defenders were overrun, then Bruma would be destroyed, Martin would be dead, and Dagon would be unopposed. But deep inside she somehow knew it was the only way.

"And I told you I'm the one going to do it. I've moved the fastest through a gate so far." Janus stated to Fathis.

"You may be an insufferable child of a noble but I am a Telvanni Wizard. I will get it; your powers have nothing on mine." Fathis replied back.

"Neither of you are going. I am." Lilia said with a sigh. "This time it has to be me. You know it just as well as I do."

Martin nodded at her; they both understood without speaking that if anyone had the best chance of accomplishing the task it was the blasphemous servant of the Nine. He cut off Fathis' and Janus' arguments with a wave of his hand.

"Lilia will go. It doesn't matter that she can't levitate or she isn't a Telvanni. This task falls to her." She rewarded his words with a bitter smile. He'd been right, she didn't like the plan. "Now what did you mean by useless greaves?"

"What is this stuff? Steel? Iron?" Lilia tossed the gauntlets back onto the table with a sneer.

"It's the Emperor's ceremonial armour." Baurus protested as he helped Martin remove his greaves. "It's always worn by Emperors when on the battlefield."

"Ceremonial! Did you just say ceremonial armour? Well now that's just a brilliant idea. Let me guess, Jauffre came up with it. Yes, let's dress Martin up in garish armour designed to look pretty rather than keep him alive." Lilia couldn't contain her frustration. She fetched Janus' silver dagger from his waist with magic and caught it in her hand. With a quick thrust she brought the dagger point down right onto the dragon in the centre of the cuirass. The soft metal crumpled under the force and she felt the dagger pierce the armour before embedding itself into the wood below. "And will someone tell me why Martin is going to be on the battlefield in the first place?"

"I'll lead the defence of Bruma myself. If I am to be Emperor it's time I started acting like one. But for some reason nobody likes that idea either." Martin said quietly, his voice far clearer due to the conspicuous silence in the room. Everyone was staring at Lilia because of her sudden violent outburst. She had no doubt that Janus was also highly offended that she'd stolen his dagger from him.

"Really? Because I love it. That's where you should be, on the battlefield rallying the troops and inspiring them on to victory. Because this is your fight now; no longer is it about keeping the citizens of Bruma safe. Now it's about aiding the Emperor in defeating the daedra. I don't think I would have let them risk themselves for your gain while you hid in a closet up here. And I don't think you would have wanted to, Emperor." She tried hard not to grin like a fool; Lilia was so proud of him and his bravery. The plan was crazy. The odds were stacked so high against them it seemed like success would be impossible. It felt so very familiar to Lilia. "Now let's find you something more appropriate to wear. And yes, we will make sure that it matches. While I can run around looking like a fool of a steward you don't have that same luxury as the Emperor of Tamriel."

* * *

"Are you sure I shouldn't go back out there and help them?" Martin asked her for the fifth time since he'd returned to his room. It had been hard enough discreetly trying to convince him to leave the commanders alone and get some rest; she'd failed miserably in that task. Lilia had begun contemplating just how she could possibly grab him and drag him off to his quarters without making him look bad. She'd gotten as far as the part where she'd pull one of his feet out with telekinesis and then swoop in while clucking about exhaustion, but she was sure that even still everyone would be concerned about Martin's health. Finally she'd resorted to making herself look bad by spilling her cup of cold tea all over him. While it had worked in getting him out of the room it had the unfortunate result of making her appear horribly clumsy.

"I'm sure. The plans are in place, they're just working out the details. Captain Lex has everything well in hand. They'll be finished soon." Lilia lied blandly. She was sure that none of them would get any sleep tonight.

As Baurus had helped Martin get a sturdier suit of armour Lilia had run back down to Bruma. She'd managed to gather the Count and Countess, the Captains of the Guards, Modryn, Agronak, Raminus, and Carahil with a minimum of fuss. She'd merely told them that Martin was having an impromptu gathering at Cloud Ruler Temple. She hadn't wanted to tell them why until they were safely up there. As far as she knew nobody outside of the headquarters of the Blades was currently aware of the plans to allow a great gate to open. Lilia hoped it stayed that way until morning; she was sure nobody who knew of the scheme would be able to get any rest.

"But shouldn't you be out there? You're the one going into the gate. How are you planning on surviving that?" Martin asked from the bed. She'd managed to convince him to lie down but the man was far too nervous to sleep.

"With my baubles. I haven't shown them to you yet, would you like to see?" She waved him over to sit across from her on the sofa. The way he kept fidgeting was making her even more nervous. Lilia didn't know how she would manage to last until tomorrow afternoon when the gates would again start opening. The thought of what they were planning terrified her but she didn't want him to know.

Rummaging through her pack she pulled out the wine and chocolates Janus had given her. Martin eyed them curiously as she kept searching until her hands finally felt the soft bag that contained her greatest treasures.

"Let's have some wine, shall we?" Lilia asked as two goblets floated over; one from on top of the wardrobe, the other from the mantle. It maddened her that Martin was always putting things away on her but she never complained about it. It was his room after all. At least he hadn't hidden the goblets on her again. She hoped she could get him relaxed enough to fall asleep. Martin poured out the Tamika 399 while Lilia put her pack back on the floor.

"Look at this. I got it in Bruma from the widow of a man falsely accused of being a vampire. Carius did most of the work helping to clear his name, but he and Erline insisted I have it. I never wear it; I'm fast enough as it is. With this on my speed is unnatural and highly noticeable." Lilia passed Martin the strongly enchanted ancient pendant she'd retrieved from Raynil Dralas' body. "It's called the Phylactery of Litheness. Try it if you like."

He slipped the chain around his neck and waved his hands. The smile on his face let her know that he was enjoying this. "I move as fast as you do now."

"Yes. And that's not the only thing I have to increase my speed. Do you recognize this?" Lilia pulled out a large ametrine ring. Martin took it from her, awe clear on his face. Holding it between his fingers he moved it around, admiring it in the candlelight. Lilia grabbed a chocolate while she waited for him to speak; she was sure he knew exactly what it was.

"The Ring of Khajiit. Where did you get this?" He whispered, not removing his eyes from the ring.

"Meridia. She had me clear out some Necromancers that were offending her. She's one of my two favourite Daedric Princes." Martin gave her a quizzical look at her answer.

"You worshipped Daedra? How long ago was this?"

"No, I never worshipped them. I am one, remember? Meridia knew exactly who I was when I placed the offering on the altar. I think that she was rather amused to have me do her work. I'm certain Azura was." Lilia replied while reaching for another chocolate. She wondered if they would last until tomorrow afternoon as well. Probably not.

"Azura?"

"Yes. Her task was far more difficult and painful, but she did give me this as a reward." Lilia pulled out the last item in the bag; a star shaped crystal. Martin gasped to see it. When she offered it to him he almost snatched it from her.

"Azura's star! As beautiful as all the tales tell." In his fascination Martin absently slipped the ring on his finger in order to better handle the artifact of the Daedric Prince of Dawn and Dusk. His exclamation of surprise caused Lilia to chuckle; he hadn't expected to suddenly become clear.

"The Ring of Khajiit has a constant chameleon effect enchanted on it. That's why I never wear it. It's far too distinctive. I have enough trouble with being recognized as it is." Lilia held out her hand and received the ring and the pendant. Martin was still inspecting the sparkling soul gem.

"What's in it?"

"Storm elemental. I found one in the Kvatch gate and grabbed its life force. I haven't used my shortsword much since then so it hasn't needed to be recharged. The gem is re-usable; the legends are true."

"Are you wandering around with any other daedric artifacts?" Martin asked while reluctantly handing back Azura's Star.

"No. I'm not a fan of the other Daedra; I certainly wouldn't do their work even if they wanted me to. I don't think many of them would though, not since I released Jyggalag."

"Jyggalag?" Martin asked while reaching for a chocolate.

"Daedric Prince of Order. He was Sheogorath." Noting Martin's very confused expression Lilia sighed before continuing. "He'd already conquered the realms of some lesser daedra and was worrying the others. Several of the Daedric Princes worked together to contain him; they cursed him with madness, turning him into Sheogorath. Every thousand years he was allowed a respite from the insanity, and became Jyggalag instead of the Madgod for just long enough to terrorize his own realm. That's why Sheogorath was looking for a champion in the first place; he wanted to give me his powers so that I could be him and battle Jyggalag, stopping the destruction of the Shivering Isles. It didn't work out quite as he'd planned, but I ended up releasing Jyggalag from the curse. And I became Sheogorath instead."

"What happened to Jyggalag?" The question caused Lilia to smile happily; Martin finally believed her. It was nice to be able to talk about the strange things she'd been through at the hands of the Aedra; there was no one else on Nirn she thought she could confide in.

"I don't know. I don't really worry about him too much. I've got enough on my mind as it is."

"The Gods can turn anything to good." Martin murmured to his wine.

"Excuse me?" She asked.

"It's something I used to say to comfort my parishioners. And myself. I had a daedric artifact once, years ago. Are you familiar with Sanguine's Rose?"

"I've heard that it can be used to summon a powerful daedra to attack whoever it's used on." Lilia answered softly. His body was telling her that this was a touchy subject for him; she could imagine why.

"That's exactly what it did. I possessed it briefly once. The power was too much for me to handle. People died because of me. My friends died." He was speaking so quietly she was sure that if she wasn't a vampire she wouldn't have been able to hear him.

"Would you like to talk about what happened?" She asked gently.

"There isn't much to tell. Armed with my ego and my staff I challenged the head of the cult for leadership. He attacked first and I used Sanguine's Rose on him in defence. But instead of one daedra under my control the room suddenly filled with dremora mages. They slaughtered everyone present; for some reason my life was the only one spared. I made it to the nearest village and went to the chapel for healing; you saw the scars I had as a result of the attack. I was consumed with guilt over my actions but the kindly Priest at the Chapel of Akatosh managed to pull me out of it. He told me that the Gods can turn anything to good. I decided to take him at his word and joined the Order of Akatosh, hoping that even I could do good." As Martin spoke Lilia struggled to resist her impulse to grab him and hold him; it obviously still pained him to speak of it.

"Martin, it wasn't your fault. You didn't summon the daedra, Sanguine did. He's the one that sent the dremora; he's the one that had them attack. It probably wouldn't have mattered who held the staff. He must have decided to destroy the group for his own twisted reasons." He looked up at her as she spoke and smiled softly.

"Thank you. Do you really think it was Sanguine who was responsible?"

"Yes. Daedric Prince, remember?" Lilia pointed at herself as she answered in the same way she always said 'vampire' to him. His soft smile turned into a grin as he chuckled.

"Daedric Prince. Vampire. Servant of the Nine. Daughter of Tamriel. When you put it all together what does it make you?" He joked.

"I don't know. I guess I'm just Lilia; that's all I can really be." She answered with a wink and a fake grin. It was a difficult question and one that she had no answer for no matter how much she struggled with it. Just what did it make her?


	101. Chapter 101: Battle of Bruma

The mass of faces stared at him and he swallowed nervously. As well fitted as his new enchanted armour was it was still far heavier than what he was used to wearing and he felt uncomfortable in it. He'd left his helmet with Lilia at Janus' insistence; the Count had said that his citizens needed to see him.

Standing here it didn't look quite like he'd expected. He'd imagined the sun shining brightly down on the majestic assembly to sparkle off the polished shields, bright banners snapping in the breeze, and the intense blue sky above to contrast with the lush green grasses below. Instead the afternoon light filtered wanly through the cover of thin grey cloud, there wasn't so much as a puff of wind to flutter the flags on the ramparts of the city, and the ground was rocky and barren, packed down hard by the daily skirmishes and coated in a layer of dark ash. The mundane nature of the situation made it somehow more real than the fairytale images that the history books always presented.

Martin was still astonished at the number of people assembled on the plateau outside of Bruma. They'd been busy since morning preparing for the coming battle. According to Count Hassildor while their chatter was nervous and frightened they were also in agreement with the plan. He'd said that they were glad they'd finally be taking the fight back to the daedra. He'd also mentioned that Martin's presence had helped to inspire them, and so he now found himself standing in front of the assembled defenders preparing to speak to them.

"Soldiers of Cyrodiil! The Empire will stand or fall by what we do here today! Will we let the daedra do to Bruma what they did to Kvatch? Will we let them burn our homes? We will let them kill our families? No! We make our stand here, today, for the whole of Cyrodiil! We must hold fast until the Hero of Kvatch can destroy their great gate. We must kill whatever comes out of that gate!" His voice had been made louder with magic so that all could hear him. The plan was one that he would never like but it was the only one they had. If it all went well then there would be no need for the defenders to remain in Bruma; it would finally be finished.

"Soldiers of Cyrodiil! Do you stand with me?"

The group roared at the end of his talk and he waved at them before walking back to his position at the rear. While he'd wanted to be here with them Martin knew that he was best placed behind everyone else; he had no experience fighting on such a large scale.

"Wonderful. You did wonderfully." Lilia murmured to him as she put his helmet back on him; her movements were remarkably fast. She was already wearing the Phylactery of Litheness. "We'll do it. Remember, the Divines fancy you. They won't let you fail."

"They won't let you fail either." He replied. She was such a source of comfort to him. Just having her around made him feel far safer; the thought of her running alone into the great gate bothered him more then he cared to admit. But somehow he just knew that she was the best one to do it. "They brought you back to me from Sancre Tor. They've kept you alive so far; trust in them to continue to do so. I do."

"I know you do. I'll be right back." She patted him on his akaviri-clad arm before turning to go give a last minute pep talk to the troops. Janus had insisted that she also say a few words to her army, as he'd called it. Lilia hadn't been happy about it but she'd agreed. As she walked out to stand in the middle of the field she tucked her helmet under her arm. So many colours were present on her; emerald green on her feet, gold on her legs, amber on her torso, deep burgundy on one arm, dark green on her hands, and the deep red of her hair. Despite the mismatched armour Martin thought she looked as fierce and proud as fabled Makela Leki, Yokudan Maiden of the Spirit Blade whose brave deeds had been forever recorded in _The Memory Stone_. Chastising himself for the comparison he said a quick prayer on Lilia's behalf to the Nine; he did not want her tale to end the same way.

"I am honoured to be here in the presence of so many heroes. By standing here today with the Emperor, by joining with us to let the daedra know that we will never surrender, each and every one of you is already a hero. Songs will be composed and poems penned about the brave warriors of Tamriel who stood together and fought off the armies of Mehrunes Dagon." Martin smiled at her words; he knew how little she liked risking the lives of mortals, as she termed them. He also knew how grateful she was to those who had come to the aid of Bruma.

"And so there is no need for heroics. We have no use for martyrs on our side; we have lost too many already. I have every confidence that not only will we defeat the daedra but that I'll see each and every one of your faces when I return. And what magnificent faces. Every race of the Empire is here; it is our diverse strengths that make our side strong, that make the Empire strong. We will use this strength to crush the invaders and drive them back from Nirn!" Lilia paused and grinned at the group, looking as though she was relishing the coming battle. Martin had seen no trace of fear or nervousness from her since he'd told her about the plan and he took a small measure of comfort from her confidence. He didn't doubt that the others were doing so as well.

"And so I say to you prepare yourselves to bear witness to a victory the likes of which has not been seen in this Era, as we teach the daedra just what mortals can do. For Tamriel! For the Empire!" Lilia raised her fist in the air as her words rang magically out to the assembled crowd, and as they repeated the cry of 'For the Empire' back to her Martin couldn't help feeling a momentary sense of relief.

For a brief instant she'd made him believe that it could be done, that they could do this in relative safety, despite his knowledge that this wasn't going to be like the other times when they'd closed the gates that opened. For this time three smaller gates would be sending out waves of daedra. And then the great gate would open, and with it the came the siege engine. Nine preserve them.

Lilia put her helmet back on and took her place in the middle of the front line, just behind the row of atronachs that Fathis had created. She'd given him her elemental salts to supplement his own; Lilia had said she'd have no need of them in Oblivion.

"Not bad. She may be fit for polite society yet." Janus murmured at him and Martin chuckled, grateful for the small distraction from the tension of waiting. "Too bad I couldn't talk her out of that ridiculous armour. But at least the people are familiar with it."

"How much longer?" Martin whispered to Arch Mage Polus. Lilia had insisted that protectors of her choosing surround the future Emperor; as a result he was standing near Baurus, Wulfgar, Janus, Fathis, Raminus, and Captain Lex. Jauffre was present as well but Wulfgar seemed to be making it his purpose to subtly keep the Grandmaster always physically removed from Martin. He knew that Lilia had shared her distrust of the Breton with the Nord. He still thought she was wrong about her poor opinion of Jauffre's skills and leadership.

"It'll be soon. Can't you feel the magic in the air? It's terrible." As Raminus answered Martin noticed that same small wave of nausea that had struck him as he'd stood on the wall and watched the gate open two days ago. Without thinking he'd grabbed Lilia's hand to help steady himself, and also because the memories of Kvatch had come flooding back painfully to him at the same time. Holding on to her metal covered hand had comforted him greatly until she'd gently pulled it away.

The Oblivion gate that opened distracted him from his thoughts. As daedra poured out from the shimmering portal Martin was displeased to see how powerful they were. The battle had begun.

Arrows flew through the air; it had cost a small fortune to purchase so many but Jauffre had paid the bill without complaint. According to Lilia Thoronir was now selling them at cost; the mer had hired an assistant to help handle all of the orders that were flowing down to him from Bruma. Martin's heart beat faster as he saw the daedra falling under the barrage of metal shafts. Noticing Lilia rapidly firing off arrows from behind a frost atronach he couldn't help smiling. His vampire steward was a good shot, and with her pendant a fast one.

Between the archers and the atronachs the first wave of daedra had been dealt with very efficiently. Martin dared hope for a moment that things would continue in the same vein. Perhaps there was a possibility they could win this.

The silence that settled over the group was a like a physical presence pressing down on them. No daedra were emerging from the first gate and the tension increased as the minutes wore on. The waiting and anticipation were almost worse than the idea of another gate appearing on the plateau.

Lightning forked across the red-clouded sky above and he felt gusts of wind begin to buffet him. His heart sank; this weather would make it far more difficult for the archers to be pick off the daedra at range. They wanted to reserve the mages' magicka as long as possible. The disturbing sensation in the air caused him to shiver; another gate was about to open. For some reason today they were coming much faster. He wondered why that was before the sight of the second portal pushed the thought from his mind.

Daedra emerged from the second gate, and at the same time another group came out of the first. There were now twice as many demons and they were headed for the defenders. The waving of Fathis' hands caused him to quickly glance over at the mer; his face was a mask of concentration as he watched the battle. The atronachs in front began to fire off elemental magic; here and there one would step forward and attract the attentions of the daedra attackers. Arrows again rained down from the sky but far more of the shots went wide. Scattered magical attacks came from the mages near the front.

But despite their increased numbers the forces of Dagon were cut down. The persistence of the Mythic Dawn in opening gates every day had increased the skill and coordination of the defenders. Martin didn't doubt that things would not be going quite so well if the group hadn't spent the previous few days training together and working together to close the portals that had opened with such regularity.

The threat dealt with Martin let out a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding. To his surprise he noted Lilia waving her arm around; the bodies of some of the larger daedra were floating over towards the gates. He realized that she was trying to barricade the portals with the dead daedra.

"By the Nine, that's an unusual idea. But it might help to slow the next group down." Raminus muttered. The Arch Mage began whispering so softly Martin couldn't make out the words. He guessed that the Imperial was using magic to communicate with the mages on the battlefield; all of the corpses were now floating over to be piled up in front of the gates. While it wouldn't keep them out it would give the defenders more time to attack as the daedra crawled over their fallen comrades. It also gave them something to do as they waited for the third gate to open; as the mages kept shifting and adjusting the bodies he was sure they were doing it less to make the pile sturdier and more to keep themselves occupied.

The well assembled barricades of the dead proved to be very helpful as the third gate blinked into existence. The daedra rushing from that gate were the only ones unhindered; the others were forced to crawl or push their way over their fallen comrades towards the mortals. It was getting harder to see what was happening on the battlefield; though it was still afternoon the sky was so choked with thick red clouds and ash it was as dark as night. It reminded Martin far too much of Kvatch for his tastes. He began praying to the Nine as he saw flashes of destruction magic and the unmistakeable blue shimmer of restoration spells throughout the front lines. The defenders were holding but they were taking injuries.

"Alcohol! As much and as strong as possible! Hurry!" He caught Lilia's amplified yell over the roaring wind. Raminus heard it too; he sent the reserved Battlemages to fetch what she asked for. Martin didn't know what she wanted liquor for at a time like this but he wasn't about to question it. His heart skipped a beat as he watched the fresh corpses of daedra being amassed against the three shimmering gates. Perhaps they could succeed.

The army parted to allow the Battlemages through with their hastily gathered resources. Lilia was directing what to do with them; bottles and barrels began flying through the air to smash against the piles of bodies. Her form was clear now; Lilia had slipped on the Ring of Khajiit. It was difficult to keep track of her; she moved so fast she was a blur. It was only when she stood still could Martin catch her wavy figure.

"Wait for my signal!" She shouted out to the group; he wasn't sure what she had planned. The unnatural sensation that suddenly pressed down on him and every other magically sensitive person made his heart drop. Gasps and small moans carried up to him on the wind. This was it; they were out of time.

A massive portal appeared in the midst of the three lesser gates. It's arrival caused the ground to vibrate under his feet. The strange fiery opening, so angry and unwanted, made his heart stop for a moment. It was a great gate just like at Kvatch. Akatosh save them; what had he done?

"Now!" Lilia's voice sounded far and distant due to the torrents of wind rushing past him and the screams of the daedra that were emerging from all gates at once. Fireballs flew into the soaked corpses; walls of flame burst into being in front of the demon armies. While daedra were resistant to fire they weren't immune. The cries of pain of the forces of Mehrunes Dagon made Martin smile. His heart swelled with pride at the ingenuity of his strange, unusual, wonderful steward.

He tracked her invisible purple form as she sped towards the great gate, moving faster than he'd thought possible. It was down to her now to close the great gate, causing the three lesser gates to collapse at the same time, and return with the great sigil stone. It was up to the mortals on this side to stay alive until she returned. He prayed for all of the Gods Blessings on her as she leapt past the daedra and into the portal.

And as she went into Oblivion for him he realized that his heart went with her.

* * *

Don't blink. Keep moving.

Lilia ran as fast as she could, faster than she ever had before, past the host of assembled forces waiting to invade Nirn. The sight of the great siege engine, nearly ablaze with the sheer force of the magic used to sustain it terrified her. Panic coursed through her and she prayed for the mortals she'd left behind on the plateau in front of Bruma. There were so many daedra and so much power gathered here, waiting for the order to attack. In a war of attrition there was no question which side would be the victor. The daedra were infinite; the defenders were not.

And so she ran on invisibly, dodging the daedra that moved about in front of her, heading as quickly as she could towards the large black tower that looked so close but felt so far. Past the intense heat of the lava, past the dremora warriors clad in their hardened dark red armour, past the spiky vermillion bloodgrass and tentacles of sentient harrada she pressed on.

Don't breathe. Keep moving.

Ash and smoke filled the air clouding her vision and stinging her eyes. The pain was nothing compared to the ache she felt in her heart. She'd heard the others as they'd fought off the fourth wave of daedra but hadn't been able to do anything or even see what had happened to them. The snatches of conversations still echoed through her mind.

"Arielle, where are you? Get this daedroth off of me."

"Stop rolling around like a bloody Khajiiti acrobat and stick close! How else can I…No! Synderius!"

Don't cry. Keep moving.

Tears threatened to break free. She tried to control herself, to prevent her hands from shaking as she grabbed hold of the rocks and pulled herself up. The tower was straight ahead of her but the path high above, set atop the rough stone cliff. Scrambling up it she tried to focus on her feet, making sure she had a good grip to push herself up. She was half leaping, half climbing as she raced up the rocks. Panic, fear, and worry threatened to strip her of her invisibility spell. She had to stay focused. So much and so many lives were riding on this. Failure wasn't an option.

"Aim for the eyes! Get him! By the Gods, hold your fire. It's too late."

Don't scream. Keep moving.

Terror unlike anything she'd yet experienced waved over her and Lilia struggled to maintain her grip on the ledge; she'd leapt up to the bridge that spanned the entrance to the black tower. It wasn't just her life on the line this time. While she hadn't become immune to the fear that she felt whenever she expected to die it had never been anything like this. Every second she wasted, every moment she let slip from her grasp, threatened the safety of those brave men and women defending Bruma. It also endangered the lives of those who would be sent in after her should she take too long. If she wasn't back fast enough she could theoretically kill those who'd been sent to do the job that she'd seemingly failed in. And she couldn't allow them to die because of her.

With a twist of her body she used her momentum to roll up onto the bridge. The rune inscribed door to the tower sat in front of her and without hesitation she ran towards it and inside.

Don't stop. Keep moving.

Patrolling daedra littered the dark halls. Lilia didn't bother with them, instead racing behind or beside them. The daedroths lumbered after her but she was too fast for them to catch up. The irony was almost too much for her to bear. Right now she felt as though there wasn't a daedra that she wouldn't be able to easily defeat and yet murdering them would accomplish nothing. Because one daedra in an army of thousands changed nothing, affected nothing that was happening on the other side of the portal. How long had it been? Minutes? Hours? She wasn't sure anymore. The muscles in her legs were starting to protest the crazy pace but she paid them no heed. There wasn't time to pause and rest them, not even for a second.

Reaching the top of the ramp that spiralled up to the Sigillum Sanguis she jumped up and carved a hole in the leathery floor of the sigil keep with her shortsword. Lilia didn't doubt that the door would be locked magically to prevent her from accessing the fiery red orb that held the plane together. True to form the daedra were smart but lacking in imagination; they'd never expect anyone to go through the ceiling rather than the door. She was sure that it was only through Mankar Camoran's assistance that Mehrunes Dagon had managed to succeed as much as he had. Succeed in what she didn't know and didn't want to find out. It was almost over, she was almost there.

Don't wait. Keep moving.

Leaping up she managed to pull herself up into the keep. Lightning and fire raced towards her; the dremora mages had spotted the hole but they couldn't see her. Kyn would never cast a spell like detect life; that was weak mortal foolishness. No kyn would have so little honour to go into battle invisible; what need did they have for ways to spot hidden enemies? She managed to avoid the flames but caught part of the shock spell; her muscles jerked as she threw herself to the side. In pain but in one piece she quickly pushed herself back up and ran on, up the spiralling ramp of what look exactly like stretched flesh, up to the altar that held the prize she sought in place.

Without hesitation Lilia grabbed the sigil stone and rolled backwards, away from the incredibly intense beam of light that started swelling alarmingly in response to the removal of its control mechanism. Scrambling away from it she pressed herself against the rough wall and waited, wordlessly imploring the Nine to bring her back before she and the stone were destroyed. Just as the vaporizing energy was about to remove the tips of her toes the plane dissolved away into ash.

Don't faint. Keep moving.

Yells, unintelligible and overly loud, assaulted her ears as Nirn once more swam into focus. The gates were closed, the wreckage of them littering the field of battle. But the daedra that were trapped remained and were still attacking, more determined than ever to claim as many mortals as possible before meeting their end. For they were no longer in the safety of Oblivion but on Mundus; there would be no reincarnation for them. Her invisibility spell had been lost during her return and she stood motionless for one horrifying moment as she surveyed the battle, noting the purple figures of mortals lying haphazardly on the ground. Before she could even recognize them pain shot through her left side and she found herself flying through the air. As the ash covered ground rushed up at her she noted wryly that she'd never expected the Battle of Bruma to end this way for her.


	102. Chapter 102: Aftermath

"Is she alive?" The voice was familiar but the recognition couldn't emerge through the pain that raced through her mind. How long had she been lying here, her mind occupied with the litany of hurt her body kept repeating? And why did it hurt so much?

"I'd say she's just as alive as she was when she went in. I've never seen such a dramatic entrance before; perhaps she could help teach him a few things." This new voice was just as familiar. Lilia tried to focus her eyes but they weren't cooperating; something was clouding her vision.

"Lilia! Say something." This voice she knew well. But the sudden burst of pain that shot through her as hands softly gripped her arm prevented the name from bubbling up to her.

"Godsdamned fetching son of a whore!" She yelled out. What was wrong with her eyes? She wasn't blind; it was though a thick grey veil had been drawn in front of them.

"She's fine. Still as uncouth as always, but fine." Janus. The second voice was Janus.

"She pronounces fetching rather well for an n'wah. I should teach her some more Dunmeri curses to expand her repertoire." Fathis. She'd recognize that amused tone anywhere. Blinking she found her vision start to clear. She'd forgotten about blinking. Realizing that she'd also forgotten about breathing she drew in a tentative mouthful of air.

"Boethiah's burning biscuits!" She cursed, not quite as loudly as the first time. It hurt to breathe.

"Boethiah's burning biscuits? Never heard that one before." It was Carius. Carius was still alive. Lilia tried to see him but couldn't make out anything other than akaviri armour. And blue eyes.

"Where does it hurt?" Martin asked. Thank the Gods, he was fine.

"Everywhere. What happened?" She whispered, not wanting to use more breath than was necessary. Trying to sort out the jumble of pain messages in her brain she realized that most of it was coming from her left side but her right half was chiming in with its own set of complaints as well.

"Storm atronach. You came back with the stone and landed right beside one; it sent you flying with a powerful blow. That was quite a scare you gave me. Don't do that again." Martin was kneeling over her, his face grim. "Now where is everywhere? Can you get your ring off? I can't really see you like this."

"Ungh." Lilia tried wriggling her right hand from under her; it was too painful to do. "No. My right arm's pinned under me and it hurts too much to move." A wave of panic suddenly gripped her as she remembered why she landed beside a storm atronach in the first place. "Where's the stone?"

"Right there under you." Fathis answered. "Are you sure she's fine?"

"I will be once we get this armour off. Right now I'm broken." Lilia muttered. She did not want to melt her armour off again; they'd used up the lesser sigil stones enchanting Martin's akaviri set. The last thing she wanted was to roam around Mankar Camoran's Paradise without her fire resistances. Fire, oh Gods, she suddenly remembered getting the mages to set the fires before she ran into the great gate. And she remembered the words she'd heard as she'd run into it. "How many casualties were there?" She whispered softly, not even wanting to vocalize the thought.

"Dozens." Martin answered gently causing Lilia's heart to sear with agony. So many?

"Anyone I know?" She tried to keep her voice from quavering. The toll was so high, even higher than she'd expected.

"Yes. Synderius, Lord Lovidicus, Delphine Jend, Azzan, Carahil, Erthor…" Janus was listing them off rapidly and Lilia couldn't believe how calm he sounded as he named so many friends of hers. Sadness overwhelmed her as the enormity of her loss hit her.

"Stop. No more." She managed to mutter through the pain, both physical and emotional as she struggled to roll forward and aim her face towards the ground. While they couldn't see her crying they would see the reddish droplets that fell from her as they escaped the chameleon enchantment. The shorter the distance the less likely anyone would notice. As grief gripped her she wanted them all to leave her alone, to let her be by herself in her misery. It was too much for her to handle.

"What's wrong? Are you crying?" Martin whispered to her; even through all of the agony that possessed her she'd been able to feel him cast a small silence spell around the two of them, blocking out the others.

"Of course I am!" She exclaimed in between sobs. "So many dead! And it's all my fault."

He laughed. Martin was laughing at her misery and sudden anger flared through her. The heartless bastard!

"They aren't dead." He said softly to her.

"But you said there were casualties." Lilia was so confused; too much had happened for her to handle it all.

"Casualties. They were injured so they count as casualties. But they didn't die. Nobody died, you foolish wonderful creature. There are some pretty serious wounds but they'll all make it." He answered her with a smile and she broke out into a giant grin. The lightness that flooded over her was so welcome; they'd done it. They'd actually managed to keep themselves alive. "You're the only one left who hasn't been tended to."

The silencing magic dissipated and Lilia knew that everyone could hear her again. "I'm a mess; I'd really rather not be seen like this. Not good for morale and all. And I want to keep my armour intact. And right now I'd happily murder someone for a bath." She grunted out at them; it still hurt to talk loudly. By now she'd figured out that there were a few broken bones on her left side; she was sure that the right was merely sore from the impact of landing. Though her shoulder felt painfully familiar. It had most likely been dislocated by the force of the fall.

"I'll carry you back to the Castle." Wulfgar rumbled out and Lilia caught sight of his giant form standing behind Martin. She tried to move her head but it hurt to do so; everything seemed to ache.

"No. I'd probably pass out; I can't pass out." Martin nodded in understanding of her hidden message. She couldn't go unconscious any more than she could sleep. It was too dangerous.

"I've got a solution; we'll levitate her. Viera, come here. You can practice your telekinesis on Lilia; she needs to go to the Castle." Carius' cheery voice sent a wave of panic into Lilia.

"Nothing that could leave a mark! Godsdamn it! Nothing that could leave a mark!" She hissed urgently in his general direction. The last thing she wanted was to be the subject of a novice's spell in this condition.

"Right, scratch that. I'll do it myself." He answered with a chuckle.

"Please, if you don't mind, I'll take care of her." Fathis sounded very unimpressed by the Lieutenant's offer; Lilia didn't doubt he had a low opinion of Carius' magical skills. It didn't surprise her considering he had a fairly low opinion of her own as well. The ground suddenly began to pull away from her. She realized it was the other way around; Lilia was moving away from the ground.

"I'd rather go to Cloud Ruler Temple than the Castle." Lilia said quietly. She didn't feel up to dealing with so many people at the moment. Much as she was overjoyed that the victory had been so complete she was worried that her vampirism would be discovered in the course of healing her injuries.

"Very well." Fathis began floating her along and she was able to see him as he guided her past him. He looked just the same as when she'd left him. Glancing around she watched Martin retrieve the large red orb that had been left behind before she lost sight of him as well. As she drifted along through the air Lilia looked around; the plateau was a mess. The broken pieces of the gates lay scattered about amidst the corpses and pieces of dead daedra. The sight of an exploded spider daedra caused her to chuckle and then swear; it hurt to laugh.

She heard Janus gently suggest that Martin hold up the stone and declare victory to the waiting troops. Lilia couldn't help smiling to hear the triumph in his voice as he quickly thanked them all. It was rather sweet to hear him let them know that she was fine; she was aware that there were many faces studying the chameleoned figure floating above the ground.

The view changed and she was now looking up at the sky. The clouds above were merely grey instead of red; it was a welcome sight. And then she saw the majestic Jerall Mountains in front of her. It was so nice to see such normal mundane things again. Now the ground was visible below her. And then the gates. And once more the sky.

"Fathis, what in the Nine Hells are you doing?" She spat down at him. The mer was chuckling to himself; he obviously thought it rather amusing to rotate her as he magically transported her up towards the headquarters of the Blades.

"I thought you'd enjoy a change of scenery as we traveled." He replied lightly.

"You insufferable Telvanni! I know you think my skills are nothing compared to yours but need I remind you that you recruited me to accompany you to meet with three little Necromancers? While I may not have been a match for Mannimarco I was more than enough for the dozen Dark mages I found before him. I suggest you stop that right now because as soon as I can move my arms again I'd be happy to demonstrate just how I managed to kill them. And no, Hanarai played no part in it." Lilia whispered loudly at him, stopping occasionally to gulp in more air to continue her threats. She was now floating face up; he'd stopped twirling her.

"Twelve? Did you really kill twelve Necromancers on your own?" Fathis was intensely curious and she wished she could see him; Lilia was almost certain there was a slight nervousness in his voice.

"Yes. And for the most part it was a wickedly simple task." She replied. She was not about to reveal just how ill prepared they had been for an assassin; they'd obviously been expecting a bloody arrogant mage.

"Hmm." The mer murmured before falling silent. The rest of the voyage was completed in relative quiet. The only noise was Lilia humming an off-tune _Captain Cyprith's Calipers_ endlessly as a way of reassuring Martin that she was still awake. The last thing she wanted was to be zapped in her current state.

"Thanks for walking her up here. I can take her the rest of the way." Martin whispered to Fathis when they reached the gates of Cloud Ruler Temple.

"I am not a pet!" She snapped back.

* * *

"Are you sure you can stand?" Martin asked her with concern as he adjusted her magically; he wasn't about to set her feet on the ground unless he was sure she could take it.

"Yes. The worst pain is in my arms and upper body; my legs are just bruised. Now put me down." Lilia answered in that quiet voice of hers. He didn't doubt that she had at least one broken rib; the sight of her flying through the air as a result of the powerful blow had horrified him. For a brief moment there he'd thought that he'd lost her. Until he noticed that she was still glowing purple in the range of his detect life spell; if she'd died her body would have been without an aura.

"The ring is on my right hand. I think the shoulder is out of the socket so try to be careful as you pull off my gauntlet." She instructed him.

"I'll be gentle." He said as he put one hand on her wrist and one on the metal glove. "While I work I want you to talk to me. Tell me something about yourself."

"Mmph." She let out a small breath of pain as he slipped the gauntlet off while trying hard not to let her arm move too much in the process. "Like what?"

"I don't know. Why don't you tell me about your parents?" He was fairly sure that was a safe subject to bring up around her. Lilia always smiled when she spoke of them; he wanted her to be in a good frame of mind as he tried to remove her armour and heal her, and he also wanted her to keep talking as a way of making sure that she hadn't passed out on him.

"What about them? You already know their names and what they did." Lilia murmured at him; he could see her again now that he'd removed the Ring of Khajiit from her finger. She looked so much like the first time he'd met her; as a statue come to life. Only this time there were small red lines running sideways from her eyes where gravity had pulled her tears as she'd lain on the ground. He wanted to wipe them away for her but instead worried about the task at hand; getting her cleaned up could wait.

"Tell me how they met." He said as he began unbuckling the ebony portion of her cuirass; for a moment he'd wanted to ask her to tell him the story of just why she had such unusual armour in the first place.

"That's one of my favourites." She smiled at his answer, just as he'd expected. "My parents aged like mer; I've told you that already. My father had already been a diplomat for over two decades when he met my mother in a small town in High Rock. She'd been up visiting my grandmother and was already a Magician in the Mages Guild." Lilia stopped her narrative to quickly draw in a sharp breath as Martin jostled her arm pulling free her gauntlet. "My father told me that he fell in love with my mother at first sight. She was a beautiful creature. I often wished I could look more like her."

"I'm sure you take after her more than you realize." He added softly while delicately trying to remove the rest of the arm's protection. If he could just get it off then he could set her shoulder back into place; it couldn't be done with the unyielding dwarven metal in the way. "Did she feel the same way about him?"

"No. She told me that she'd found him entirely too short and far too odd for her tastes. Apparently when he asked her to dinner she gave him one of her most disdainful glares. She was an expert with those. I received many of them myself whenever I misbehaved." Lilia closed her eyes and grunted in pain as Martin carefully prised her upper arm free. To his surprise he was finding her to be entirely covered in grey ash. Though he couldn't for the life of him fathom how it'd managed to get _under_ her armour.

"You're doing great." Murmuring in encouragement he surveyed her shoulder. It was definitely out of alignment. He positioned his hands and readied his healing spells. This was always a bit tricky. "It might hurt a bit; don't be afraid to yell. Ready?"

He didn't wait for her to reply. Things seemed to go smoother when his patients weren't expecting it. Pushing the shoulder back into place he sent a concentrated blast of restoration magic into it at the same time. He didn't want to heal her fully yet. This side was the easy one. It was the other arm he was dreading. The litany of broken bones she described had him uneasy.

"Yes, quite ready. Thank you." Lilia's quiet voice was dripping with sarcasm. While she hadn't cried out she had made a throaty growl when he'd popped the misaligned limb back to its rightful location. "Can you heal the right arm a bit more? I'll be able to help you get the rest of this armour off."

"Of course. So what happened after she glared at him?" Martin asked as he sent small healing spells into her arm.

"Nothing. She left town the next day to make her way back to the Imperial City. Only she didn't know that he was so well-connected. When she arrived at the small inn where she was spending the night near the border she found a letter and a bouquet of flowers waiting for her."

"Is that better?" Lilia nodded at his question. While her arm certainly wasn't back to normal she would be able to assist him with the next portion of his work. "And let me guess, she loved them."

"Ow." She'd started chuckling but quickly stopped. "No. It was a bunch of nightshade. My mother was completely unimpressed and wrote him a scathing reply telling him to stop pestering her. She also questioned his intelligence; didn't he know that he'd sent her flowers that she could use to kill people with?"

"I'm sure there was a small threat that she'd use the poison she could make with them on him if he didn't leave her alone." Martin mused while Lilia helped him remove her cuirass. She was smiling as they worked.

"That was implied. The next stop on her journey home she arrived to find another letter and a different bouquet. This time he'd sent dragon's tongues. The note was very apologetic; he said he was very sorry for his ignorance and the way she felt he'd been bothering her. Now she was a bit amused; he was a diplomat for a reason and his letters could be quite charming. This time she wrote back and informed him in very icy tones that he'd again sent her deadly ingredients as an apology for sending different deadly ingredients. Ow!" Her tale was interrupted as Martin carefully tried to pull the gauntlet off of her left hand. The awkward way she was holding the entire arm didn't look good to him.

"Keep talking to me. Let me know if I need to stop." He told her. She was frowning down at him as he did what he could to pry to gauntlet off of her hand.

"Just pull quickly. Get it over with." Lilia instructed him. She continued telling her story while occasionally pausing to vocalize her pain. He didn't doubt that the work was hurting her a lot. From the outline he was seeing as he peeled away the armour to reveal the now grey tunic underneath it was apparent that the blow had broken a few bones.

"The same thing kept happening for the rest of the trip back to the Arcane University; he kept sending her different flowers each time, always making sure that they could be turned into a murderous poison. As they wrote to each other they got to know one another better and better. My mother always said that it was my father's unique outlook that attracted her to him. Finally he did send her a bouquet of tiger lilies. He always refused to say if that was a lucky guess or if he'd used his sources to find out just what flower she liked. While you can weaken a person with their nectar you can't kill them, and she was finally forced to thank him for the gesture."

"I'm going to have to cut your sleeve off. I can't see your arm with it in the way." Martin interrupted while pulling out the small silver dagger he'd strapped to his waist. Lilia certainly wouldn't be able to lift her arm and tug the shirt off over her head. To his surprise she smiled at his words.

"I'm honestly surprised this tunic lasted as long as it did. Ruin it however you need to. It's just a shirt." He chuckled at her answer; she really did seem to have terrible luck when it came to clothes. Lilia continued her story as he carefully slid the sharp dagger around the soft silk, taking care not to scratch her in the process. "My mother didn't hear anything back from my father; not right away. A week later he suddenly showed up in the foyer of the Arcane University holding the largest bouquet of tiger lilies she'd ever seen and asked her to join him for dinner. They courted for a couple of years before finally marrying. They loved each other so much despite their differences. I always hoped I'd be so lucky one day."

"Lift your arm for me." Martin had healed the bones back into the correct shape and he watched as Lilia moved her left arm gingerly around. When she tried to raise it she gasped and quickly brought it back down; he'd forgotten about her ribs. "I'll need to get the remainder of your shirt off. I think you've got a broken rib."

"I can just take care of it myself." She offered. He shook his head; there was no way he'd allow that.

"Don't even think about it. I know how skilled you are at restoration magic; I think rudimentary is the best term for it. I remember how long it took you to heal me after you removed my scars." Martin replied while pulling out the dagger once more. After a few careful cuts her ragged ruined tunic lay on the carpet. He was surprised that her undergarments and skin was coated with the same grey ash that had been on her clothes and her armour.

With the softest pressure he could manage his hands confirmed what he suspected; she'd managed to break a couple of ribs. As quickly as he could he pushed the back into alignment as he healed them; healing bones without ensuring that they were in the correct place could lead to a lifetime of soreness and reduced mobility. Looking up to Lilia's face he was a little surprised to see her looking almost a little sad as she stepped back.

"I can finish healing myself. I'll take care of it while I wash up; the ash is bothering me more than the soreness right now."

"No. Wash up if you need to, but you'd better not try to do the job yourself. I'll silence you if you won't cooperate." While he knew she'd healed herself several times before her skills really weren't much more than basic. It was the least he could do to thank her for what she'd just done for him, for Bruma, for Tamriel.

"Very well." She sighed before nodding to the armour on the floor. "Would you mind giving that to Wulfgar? I'd like him to take if to Fjotreid and have it repaired; the Nord is very familiar with it."

Lilia moved slowly to the bathroom and once more Martin had the impression of watching a statue come to life. Gathering up her armour as she'd asked he surveyed the mess on the carpet. While Jauffre might not approve of it Martin did; he'd not realized before how much he cared for Lilia. Having her back to ruin the rug and drop objects haphazardly throughout his room made him very happy. The instant in which he thought she'd died from the storm atronach's blow had frozen him in terror. While he'd seen death before, more times than he'd ever wanted to, it rarely hurt him both so emotionally and physically as the idea of her death had.

Martin passed out the armour and Lilia's instructions to Wulfgar while musing on what this meant, and what he was going to do about it. That was the tricky question, a riddle more complicated than any in the Mysterium Xarxes. Because he had no idea how to handle the situation.

"Your turn. I want every trace of ash off you and you to change your clothes; I don't want to feel another flake on my skin ever again." Lilia said to him as she made her way over to sit by the fire. She was wearing a fresh pair of pants and the cut off vest she'd wore to train him; he'd have visibility and access to finish the task of healing. The way she held her arms stiffly and moved them slowly let him know that she hadn't tried to fully heal them on her own.

Alone once more with his thoughts Martin grinned as he surveyed the wreckage of the bathroom. Lilia's grey clothes had been wadded up and left in a corner and a trail of smudged footprints showed the path she'd taken to get to the tub. Little puddles of water traced her return journey; she'd been careful not to step on any ashes. Scrubbing up quickly he decided that there was nothing to be done about the situation for now. In mere hours the portal to Paradise would be opened and hopefully the Amulet of Kings recovered. After relighting the Dragonfires there would be time enough to worry about such matters.

After making sure that he was completely clean and not a speck of ash clung anywhere to him he returned to the suite to find Lilia staring at a small blue vial on the low table. She glanced over at him as he joined her and smiled.

"I know this is a strange request, but would you mind opening that bottle for me?"

He nodded absently while reaching for it; he was surprised she needed his help with the task. Perhaps he hadn't healed her arms as much as he'd thought. Closing his hand around the vial he noticed that it didn't feel like anything. It took him a second to understand the reason for that was because his hand had completely missed it. Trying again he once more found himself unable to bring his hand close enough to grip it. Trying now with both hands he was very confused to find them clasping nothing but air as they met above, beside, behind, and everywhere else except on the small bottle.

"You're not going mad. It's the Aedra. Apparently I'm the one going for a little trip to Paradise tonight." Lilia's soft words caused Martin to look back curiously at her. The question as to who would go hadn't been decided; Fathis was also being considered for the task. She noticed his reaction and smiled weakly. "It's the cure. The Divines won't let me take it yet; I'm still a vampire. I'd hoped that they'd made me one so I could move quickly through the great gate but that clearly wasn't the case. And I've come to the conclusion that they do have some sort of reason for everything that they've done to me. Perhaps I'll need to be undead in order to recover the amulet. I can only hope."

"What do you mean when you say they made you one?" Martin asked while sitting down beside her, watching as Lilia put the bottle back into her pack. "Turn away from me."

"I mean what I said; they made me one. It was their will that I become a vampire. I had no choice in the matter." She said while adjusting herself so her back faced him and her legs were crossed in front of her on the sofa.

"What happened?" Martin wasn't sure if she stiffened because of his question or his hands; he was letting gentle healing spells flow into her sore arms. She sighed softly before answering.

"They took control of my body. I got to listen as they forced me to asked Vicente to turn me into a vampire. There wasn't anything I could do to stop it." Lilia replied quietly.

"He did it on purpose?" The hands sliding up and down her arms paused briefly in their path before resuming the soothing movement. From the way she'd reacted to the inscription and the bitter words she'd uttered about her failure he'd gotten the impression that she'd cared for the vampire. He didn't see why she would if Vicente had turned her into the undead willingly; he'd imagined it must have been an accident.

"I never questioned him about it. I think I was afraid of the answer. I've always suspected that he did it because he hoped that I'd grow to love him in time. And we both knew about the cure; it was something that I had plenty of time to take by his reckoning. I can understand his desire to have a companion, sometimes all too well."

"Shh." He wanted to change the subject, the faint note of unhappiness creeping in to her voice bothering him. As he slid his hands down her back and over to the newly mended ribs he couldn't resist idly tracing the furrows in her skin. "Tell me why you like your scars so much."

"Because I earned them." Lilia answered, her words louder and tinged with pride. "I think that was the first truly selfless act I'd ever done. There was no reason for me to help Wulfgar and the Skaal. I could have left them to fend for themselves with no consequences to my own life. But I didn't. I'm pleased with why I got them and what they remind me of. Only problem is I can never tell anyone the truth. They never believe me so I always lie and say that I got them while trying to milk a bear."

"I'm almost done. Is that better?" He asked between chuckles without removing his hands. Lilia slowly twisted her torso while nodding. He smiled as he glided his hands back down her arms to grab her own, restoration magic flowing gently into her cool skin the entire time. "I've never met anyone quite like you before."

"I certainly hope you haven't. I'd be very unhappy to hear of any other undead Madgod servants of the Nine roaming around."

"That's not quite what I meant. I'm not talking about what you've done; I'm talking about who you are. You're like..." He tried to come up with a suitable analogy. "You're like an onion. There are so many layers to you, I can never predict what the next one will be."

"An onion?" She snickered at his words. "There's no mystery to an onion. When you peel back a layer you only find more onion. Just what are you trying to say? That I smell so bad it makes you cry? Because I just had a bath so I don't think there's much else I can do about the problem."

Her teasing reply made him laugh. It felt so good having her here with him. Entwining his fingers in hers he corrected her. "No, I don't think you smell. That's not what I meant."

"Darn. I rather liked the idea of running around stinking up Mankar Camoran's Paradise. I'll just have to find some other way to bother him then." She said lightly. Grinning he crossed her hands in front of her, wrapping her in an embrace while gently tugging her back towards him.

"You're incredible, did you know that?" He whispered in her ear. "I've never met anyone so serious, ridiculous, strangely logical, wonderful," he brushed her earlobe with his lips as he pressed his cheek against her hair, "and beautiful before."

Holding her tightly in his arms he realized that he didn't want her to go to Paradise. He didn't want her to go anywhere; she was exactly where he thought she belonged. Nuzzling his head against hers he gently ran his lips along the curve of her ear and felt her grip on his fingers tighten in response. Emboldened he teased the tempting little point at the top with his tongue before working his way back down to the earlobe. The little gentle nibble he gave it caused her to shiver.

Kissing his way down her neck he didn't notice that she'd stopped breathing. He wasn't noticing anything except the feel of her in his arms and the soft sensation of her cool skin against his lips. He did notice the way she shot off the sofa when he lightly raked her flesh with his teeth, and the way that she started yelling at him from across the room.

"What in the Nine Hells do you think you're doing?" She demanded of him, glaring at him when he failed to answer. He'd not meant for that to happen; he hadn't really been thinking at all.

"Were you curious? Wanted see what it was like with a vampire? Just another notch on the belt and an item on your list of accomplished perversions?" She continued shouting at him.

"No, Lilia..." Martin hated the idea of that reasoning. She cut him off; her anger reminded him of the incident with Jauffre. The thought of casting a magical shield briefly crossed his mind.

"Or was it priestly compassion? Let the lonely vampire have a little fun before toddling off to Paradise? A noble sacrifice on your part? Your way of rewarding my faithful service?"

"Lilia, please..." He'd not heard her sound so bitter since she'd returned from Sancre Tor.

"Let me guess, it wasn't your fault. It's your Septim legacy. I'm impressed; you're not even crowned and already you're auditioning for the post of Imperial Whore. You take after your father. Or is it your mother? I don't know who she was but she certainly wasn't able to resist temptation. No wonder you ended up worshipping Sanguine."

"That's enough!" Martin shouted back at her while standing up from the sofa.

"Enough? That's not nearly enough. You have no idea what I really think about you, do you?" She was rummaging through her pack; she'd magically pulled it over to her. "Obviously not. At least I really hope not, because that would make you far more cruel than I thought possible. Fetching bastard." As she muttered angrily he saw her pull out the stained green robe before snarling at it and tossing it to the floor. Instead she removed a new blue one and tugged it on.

"Where are you going?" He asked as she started walking quickly to the door. He was furious with her insults and yet he still didn't want her to go. Not now, not like this.

"Removing temptation." She replied while yanking open the door. Without another word or a backwards glance she slammed it behind her as she stormed out, leaving him alone in the room. That certainly could have gone better. He frowned at a stained spot on the wallpaper and wondered just what it was she really thought about him.


	103. Chapter 103: Two Sides of the Coin

The soft knock on the door interrupted his very disordered thoughts and Martin quickly moved over to open it. Perhaps Lilia had come back; they really needed to talk. He was disappointed to find Baurus standing on the other side. The Redguard was giving him a strange look, almost a combination of amusement and curiosity.

"I like what you've done with the place." He chuckled as he surveyed the ash scattered all over the floor. His mirth faded as he walked over and picked up the green robe that had been tossed in the midst of the mess. The Blade now only regarded Martin with curiosity as he shook it out and folded it up. "Cast that spell of yours. I don't think we should be overheard."

Feeling rather confused by everything Martin did as asked, magically trapping all sound within the walls. He nodded at Baurus who was now gesturing for Martin to have a seat by the fire. The Redguard draped the folded robe over the back of the sofa and sat down with a sigh. He gave Martin a friendly smile before speaking.

"Would you care to tell me just what you've done to cause the woman who loves you to suddenly stop giving a damn about you?"

* * *

Lilia stood in the mud and cursed the damp sky above her. She was alone in the midst of the forest standing at the base of a tall cliff. Large boulders littered the ground around her and she grabbed one with magicka, tossing it up to crash into the rock wall before it plummeted back down to Nirn. The large puddle it landed in caused murky water to arc out into the air; several large splatters landed on her robe. She didn't care; her clothes were the least of her worries at the moment.

With an inarticulate bellow of rage she chose another large stone and once more hurled it with telekinesis against the granite cliff face. She was furious, furious with everybody right now. Furious with the Divines and their manipulations of her, furious with Martin for daring to even think of her as something other than his undead steward, and especially furious with herself. She should have stopped him before things had gone so far.

Abandoning the idea of destroying the rocks by smashing them in to the cliff she now wove her magicka into fire and sent it at the boulder that had dared land in a puddle. Maybe she could melt it. As she'd been floated away from the wreckage of the battle she'd overheard awed comments about the multitude of spells that had hit the storm atronach she'd landed beside at once, and the way the stone had vaporized as a result. Maybe she could use her fury to recreate that effect.

As her mind once more went over what had happened the puddle around the rock began to steam from the heat. The fine mist that was drizzling down from the clouded sky sizzled as it touched the magically heated stone. Feeling a small smile on her lips as the remembrance danced through her mind her anger and magical efforts re-doubled. That sort of weakness would spell doom for the Empire.

She'd told herself that Martin had merely been concerned for her, unhappy that she'd arrived back in such a frighteningly dramatic fashion. She knew he didn't think of her as anything more than he thought of any of the Blades; Lilia was just someone who worked for him. While she was skilled at getting his attention when necessary and felt that he regarded her as some sort of friend there had been no indication that he was attracted to her.

Except for the night he'd adjusted the flower behind her ear. She'd dismissed that as her own delusions rather than reality. The thought made her feel very guilty. She should have acted differently starting from that point. Staring at the now glowing boulder she changed tactics and sent freezing magicka into it, hoping that the sudden temperature change would cause it to shatter. The droplets of moisture that hung in the air started coating the rock in a thin layer of ice.

Why this, why now? Things were almost at an end. All Lilia needed to do was get the Amulet of Kings from Paradise and give it to Martin. After that he'd be Emperor and she'd be...

She had no idea what she'd be. Lilia didn't know what to think any more. Her emotions were so raw she was starting to become numb, overwhelmed by the whirl of powerful feelings that jostled for attention. There was hope, stronger than it had ever been, that somehow things would work out. The Divines did have a plan for her, she knew that now. The idea that perhaps they'd fix her, undo all of the damage they'd caused her, caused both delirious joy and searing pain. Because she doubted that she could ever be fixed. She still didn't trust or forgive them; she'd merely resigned herself to being their puppet in this matter.

There was fear, more fear than she'd ever known. Because so much was hinging on her success. Should she fail in this final task then Nirn would no longer be safe for any mortal. The knowledge also caused doubt to gnaw at her. Was she sure that she should be the one to do it? The Nine hadn't pushed her since she'd finally realized that they'd made her join the guilds so she could get allies for Bruma. Somehow they'd known all along that she'd be here, with Martin, trying to save the world from the machinations of a Bosalt and a Daedric Prince.

Lilia let her spell lapse and sat down heavily in the mud. The Gods favoured irony; the symmetry of a Mehrunes Dagon, a Daedric Prince, and Mankar Camoran, a bastard son, pitting their wits and forces against Lilia, a sort of Daedric Prince, and Martin, a bastard son, was not lost on her. Except she was on Nirn and had no powers to use to aid them in their battles. All she'd ever been able to do since she'd silenced her shrines and destroyed her realm was to undo the lingering magic that Sheogorath had left on Nirn. Thurindil had been cursed by him and she'd removed the madness from him. Rosentia Gallenus had possessed the staff of the Everscamp; when the foolish Imperial had activated it Lilia had felt it and sought it out. She'd destroyed it along with the shrine in Darkfathom Cave. Nothing she'd done or could do would ever possibly be enough to defeat Mehrunes Dagon. As for Martin...

Lilia slammed her hands into the mud in frustration. Why couldn't she stop loving him? And why couldn't she stop remembering the feel of his fingers entwined with hers, the way he'd tormented her ear with his mouth, or the way she'd melted inside when he'd called her beautiful? She'd suspected what might happen when he'd tugged her back towards him. He'd stopped casting healing spells at that point. But she'd been unable to resist temptation. Things would have gotten far messier if he hadn't decided to nibble on her neck; nobody had touched her neck in months. Not since Vicente.

The reminder of her former lover, her undead former lover, had finally sounded the alarm in her mind. Because she wasn't mortal but Martin was. And so she'd flown off the sofa and stood as far from him as she could. The bitterness she'd felt at having severed something that felt so good had fuelled her words. Lilia had tried to enrage him, to hurt him, to make him despise her. She was sure it hadn't been enough. At least not yet.

Standing up she resumed floating the stubborn boulder off the ground and slamming it repeatedly against the cliff. Surely at some point something would finally give and she'd be rewarded with a brief moment of destruction. It was the only thing she felt safe to vent her anger on at the moment. She was frightened of just what she'd do to a mud crab at this point.

A very large purple figure was making his way towards her and she frowned as she continued to toss the stone around. Small chips were flaking off of it, falling down alongside the soft rain. She ignored him until he grabbed her sodden extended arm; she let the boulder fall as she glared up at him.

"The rocks don't like that." Wulfgar rumbled at her. He gave her a curious look and continued. "What happened to your shoes? And why aren't you with Martin?"

"My shoes are with Martin. I'm out here. And I'm not in the mood to discuss it." She snapped at him. To her surprise Wulfgar smiled down at her.

"So he finally told you? I didn't think he had the stones to do it. But I never thought you'd take it so badly." His words caused her to step away from him in order to see him better. She had no idea what he was talking about. Her bare feet squelched in the moist earth as she shifted her weight.

"What on Nirn are you talking about? Tell me what?" She demanded. Wulfgar's hearty laugh caused her to cringe; his loud voice was difficult on her sensitive ears.

"That he loves you, of course."

* * *

"Love? Lilia doesn't love me. You're delusional if you think so." Martin's shocked reply caused Baurus to laugh and for a second he wondered if madness was something that could be caught like witless pox.

"Really? Maybe you're just terribly unobservant." The Redguard replied with a chuckle.

"I'm not unobservant." Martin stated flatly. He didn't like how the Blade snorted at his words.

"Of course. I guess I failed to realize that my decades of observation and interaction with people have left me less skilled than a Priest of Akatosh who spends most of his waking hours with his nose in a book. Since you're better at this than I am I'm sure you can come up with the correct explanation of her actions." The words came out smugly and Martin frowned. While the man had a point, years of service in the Blades surely taught one a thing or two about reading people, he was convinced that Baurus was wrong about Lilia.

"What actions?" He asked, doubting that anyone would ever be able to explain her actions. She was so strange and unpredictable.

"All of them." Baurus waved his hands around the room. "From what I've heard from Jauffre she was less than pleased to be tasked with fetching you from Kvatch. And yet when the two of you showed up at Weynon Priory suddenly she wouldn't leave you alone. And since then she's spent hours guarding you and thinking of ways to keep you alive."

"You've thought of ways to keep me alive too." Martin pointed out.

"I'm a Blade, it's my duty to do so." The Redguard shook his head softly. "She's not. Much as I like you I doubt I'd volunteer to taste your food for poison or go undercover for you if I didn't have to. At first I thought she was one of those fanatically loyal Empire types. The kind that always goes on about Imperial superiority and the sanctity of the Emperor. But when she talked about Imperial lies and the noble Renrijra Krin I knew that certainly wasn't the case."

"She's trained with the Psijics; battling the forces of Oblivion is something she'd never run away from." Martin offered. Baurus' point about Lilia not being a devout follower of Imperial rule was very true.

"The Psijics? I didn't know about that. Hmm." Baurus pondered the concept for a moment before shaking his head again. "No, it still doesn't explain why she's so devoted to you. A Psijic wouldn't worry about what time you went to bed or what you had for lunch. If that was her motivation she'd be spending all of her time in Bruma working with the Mages Guild."

"She's just concerned, that's all." He offered weakly. Surely Baurus couldn't be correct in his ideas. The Redguard laughed loudly in response.

"She's nice when she wants to be but she's no Mother Mara. Have you ever heard her ask if I'd gone to bed at a decent time, or if Wulfgar had eaten dinner? That's not in her nature. As far as she's concerned we're all adults and capable of taking care of ourselves."

"What she's done hasn't been that unusual." He said quickly. Martin was starting to run out of counterarguments to Baurus' logic.

"Not unusual? She's run into Oblivion for you more times than I can count, she's battled the Mythic Dawn for you, she's called on every friend and resource that she has to help keep you safe, she's even tried to help prepare you for being an Emperor. And as far as I know she's only ever been paid with a handful of ebony arrows, sweetrolls, and silk robes. And don't even try to say that she's done it for fame and glory because I'm sure even you haven't failed to notice that's the last thing she seeks."

Martin shook his head. While Baurus' reasoning was compelling the Blade didn't know the things that he did. Lilia was being pushed to do the things she did by the Divines. That's why she'd come to fetch him in Kvatch. That's why she'd run around Cyrodiil gathering allies to defend Bruma. It was the will of the Aedra. The Redguard was misinformed; a sudden thought caused him to look at the man suspiciously.

"Are you sure you aren't just confused because of your own feelings for her?" Martin asked.

"My own feelings for her? What are you talking about?" Baurus questioned back. The poor man. Martin was sure he didn't want to admit it to himself.

"That you're attracted to her." As he replied he started frowning; Baurus was laughing loudly at his answer.

"Me? Why would you ever think that I was interested in Lilia?"

"Because you're always talking about her. And there was that time you mentioned how open and honest she was." Martin still remembered the knowing smile the Redguard had given him at that comment.

"You'd never survive a day as a Blade. I mentioned how open and honest she was to try and give you a clue about how she felt about you. And lately you've been the one bringing her up, not me. I'll just be sitting there when suddenly you'll ask me if I think she'd know what this passage means or if she'd ever been to some random location." Baurus chuckled softly. "No, I'm certainly not in love with her. Though I'd understand if you thought it was the other way around; it really does happen all the time."

Martin sat back and stared at the man. He didn't know what to think. Baurus did notice a lot. But Lilia, in love with him? What a strange thought.

"You're still not convinced? Do you know what she ordered me to do when we finished tracking down the Mythic Dawn? To watch over you for her. Not for the Empire, or for your own safety, or anyone else's reasons. For her. Every time she leaves here she corners Wulfgar or me and gives us detailed instructions on how to take care of you. I can't tell you how many times she's lectured me on your bedtime or implored me to make sure you stay hydrated as you work. That's why I can't figure out what you've done to suddenly change things." Baurus' words broke Martin out of his reverie.

"What do you mean by that?" Martin wasn't sure what had caused the Blades' sudden desire to discuss the subject in the first place.

"Because she left without telling me to come watch you, what you should be served for dinner, and what time you should eat." He glanced over to the wall by the door before looking back at Martin. "And she also stalked out of the great hall without any shoes on."

* * *

"Wulfgar, are you feeling okay? You haven't been worshipping Sheogorath lately, have you?" Lilia asked. The Nord was mad; he had to be. Martin absolutely was not in love with her. She considered praying to the Nine that it not be true. Such a thing would be a tragedy for both of them.

"Come. Leave the stones to rest and let's go hunting. We'll talk on the way." He started heading off without her. Lilia sighed and made her way over to the nearest small boulder. The Nord stopped walking and turned around to watch as she stepped on top of it and cast her levitation spell. Satisfied that her bare feet wouldn't be subject to fallen pine needles or pointy pieces of gravel she stomped her way through the air to join the bemused man.

"You never did learn how to use it properly, did you?" He asked as he led the way. By the time Lilia had met him she'd already stayed with Divayth Fyr. She'd once entertained the Nord while roaming around the wilderness in search of prey by walking above the snow. He'd been somewhat impressed with the skill, pointing out that it left no prints to track and didn't make any noise.

"No. But I have learnt many new tricks since we parted. I'll be happy to demonstrate them if you don't start explaining what you're talking about, where we're going, and just what it is you want me to help you hunt while my armour is being repaired in Bruma." Lilia answered. Martin had sent her armour off with Wulfgar at her request as she'd washed up. The Nord had taken it to Fjotried to be prepared in time for her journey into Paradise. At least she still had a few hours before she needed to worry about that; the ritual couldn't begin until the sign of the Tower was in the sky. That was sometime after midnight and it wasn't yet dinnertime.

"We're going to Aleswell. We're hunting for mead. Your clever idea to burn the daedra with alcohol drained the city dry. There are a lot of thirsty soldiers looking for something to celebrate with. Olav's currently serving either one mug of apple juice, or more than one mug of apple juice. That's a sorry state for a Nord to be in." Wulfgar answered as Lilia ducked under tree branches. Walking up so her head was at the same level as his revealed some unusual challenges she'd not had to worry about before.

"And why is it you're doing the hunting?" She asked.

"Because I'm your secretary, that's why. When the problem was being talked about I saw how everyone was looking at me. So I decided to make use of my new power and go buy liquor in your name." The Nord answered proudly. Lilia laughed; he always managed to cheer her up. "Carius and Viera are going to Bleaker's Way, and Garrus and Tierra are going to Roxey Inn. Between the lot of us we should be able to get enough rations to last the night."

"How were you planning on bringing it back?" Lilia asked. As strong as the man was he couldn't hope to carry the liquid contents of an inn back to Bruma on his own.

"I was going to rent a horse and wagon. But then I heard you disrupting the slumber of the stones and came to find you. You can use your magic for something useful for a change and float everything back." He answered. "Why were you doing that anyway? Ysmir doesn't like such wanton destruction of his realm."

"Ysmir? Don't you mean Wulfharth of Atmora, Pelinal Whitestrake, Harrald Harry Beeks, Arnand the Fox, Zurin Arctus, the Underking, the man with too many bloody names who was Tiber Septim's right hand? What is he? What was he? A God? A mortal?" She was ranting at Wulfgar now. Much as she knew he wasn't at all responsible for the situation Lilia couldn't stop herself.

"As if he cares about destruction. As Pelinal Whitestrake he slaughtered thousands of mer in a fury of blood lust. As Talos' sidekick he helped the Warrior God work with a Breton betrayer and defeat the combined armies of Skyrim and High Rock at Sancre Tor, stood by as the defeated army was sold into slavery by the righteous victor. As Zurin Arctus he created the Mantella to let Tiber use the Numidium for his own twisted purposes. How are we supposed to be good when the Gods and the Saints are such sinners? Alessia took a Minotaur for a lover, Talos betrayed Ysmir, and Ysmir wreaked his vengeance at Sancre Tor."

A shudder ran through her at the memories that welled up from those five days of darkness she'd spent surrounded by the evil magic of the Underking, the power and memories he'd left in a futile attempt to get a form of revenge against the Cyrodiils, the Blades, and all of those he felt had betrayed him.

"As for the stones Ysmir can dislike it all he wants. Too bad he isn't around; I'd try and get him to use his blessed powers to take that boulder and stick it right up his…"

"Stop!"

Lilia clapped her gesturing hands over her ears as Wulfgar suddenly cut her tirade off with his booming command. He noticed the response and quieted his voice before continuing. "I will not let you say such things against the Gods. You never used to speak like that about the Gods. Other things, yes, but not the Gods."

"The Gods and I don't see eye to eye at the moment." Lilia replied crossly.

"Was his confession that painful to hear?" The Nord asked softly. Lilia shook her head while ducking a low branch.

"There was no confession. I have no idea what you're talking about; Martin doesn't love me." She was sure about that; he might want her but he certainly didn't care for her. Not like she did for him.

"Yes he does. It's plain to see."

"Really? Because I don't see it at all. Spell it out for me." Lilia was wondering if maybe the hunter's senses had dulled over the years. She was surprised that he'd make such a big error in his observations.

"Well, when I first joined you he didn't like me. That didn't seem to go away no matter how friendly I was to him. You were off in Sancre Tor so you couldn't see how he behaved. He was a mess; he wasn't eating, he wasn't sleeping, and he kept looking at where you normally sat at dinner or in the library. It was obvious that he was worried about you. We all were, but nobody reacted quite like him."

"Martin's been under a lot of stress lately. I'm sure he was just worried about deciphering the Mysterium Xarxes." She pointed out. For the obsessed future Emperor of Tamriel the behaviour Wulfgar described sounded completely normal to her.

"I thought so at first. But when he suddenly asked me why our affair hadn't worked out it made me wonder. Why would he be worried about our past history while you were missing? And then after I told him that we'd never been lovers he seemed to calm down. Ever since then he's been far friendlier to me. I think he was jealous."

"That can't be right." Lilia murmured. That had happened before she'd returned from Sancre Tor. Martin hadn't seemed to act interested in her then. Remembering the way his lips had brushed her ear as he'd held her magically pinned to the wall Lilia clenched her filthy hands into fists; she wasn't about to start touching her earlobe in reminiscence in front of Wulfgar. The man noticed everything.

"But there's more. I saw what a big change there was in him when you finally came back. Suddenly he was relaxed again. And watching you constantly. He rarely takes his eyes off of you when you're around. I also saw how he held your hand while observing the defenders close the gate from the wall of Bruma. And how he kept watching you as you stared up at the stars on your way back to Cloud Ruler Temple. It's odd, I thought he was looking at your ear more than the flower tucked behind it."

"That's not very conclusive. It was a very pretty flower." She offered blandly. The Nord's words were causing many conflicting emotions to bubble through her. Currently the random bursts of joy were being smothered by a heavy dose of apprehension. Martin had suddenly chosen that night to stroke her ear and ask her why he couldn't touch her like her other friends. The Nord's observations and her own experiences were meshing far more than she liked.

"Not that pretty. But what convinced me is the way he acted today. He watched you run through the great gate and then just stared at the spot you disappeared from. If only you could have seen his face; it was obvious that he has feelings for you. And when you were hit by the storm atronach he went white. And now I suddenly find you alone in the wilderness without shoes and covered in mud. I'm not sure what he said to you but it must have been something." The Nord pointed at the patches of muck all over Lilia's robe.

"It was something else all right, but not what you're thinking." She murmured back.

"Do you not like him? He seems to be a good man; I'm sure he'll be a good Emperor. And probably a good husband. He could use a good woman beside him." Wulfgar's very unsubtle hints caused Lilia to smirk.

"I'm sure he could. He could also use a fertile woman beside him." She tried very hard to keep any trace of bitterness out of her voice.

"Oh. And there's no way you…"

"Not without Divine intervention, no. There would be no heirs." Lilia replied quietly to his unspoken question. It was true. Unless the Gods released her from her immortal state she could never bear children.

"I'm sorry to hear that." He grabbed her with one arm and pulled her through the air for a quick hug. Lilia never minded being touched by him; having him burn stripes up and down her naked back while she screamed like a harpy had removed any traces of self-consciousness she'd felt around him. As he released her and wiped his arm absently on his leather armour she smiled. He certainly didn't mind a little dirt. "So what are you going to do about Martin? You should probably let him down gently."

"Gently?" Lilia snorted as she asked the question. She couldn't see that working at all. If what Wulfgar suspected was true she doubted that Martin would give up so easily. The man could be horribly stubborn at times. She could only see one way for either of them to have any chance at happiness in future, and that was if she made it so that the only desires he had for her were unpleasant ones. If she could make him despise her then he'd have a good chance of finding someone else rather than wasting any time pining after her. "Don't worry about it. I'll handle the situation."

"I don't think that's the way to do it, but I don't think I can change your mind." He shook his head. She didn't doubt Wulfgar noticed the tone of her voice and suspected that she'd be more cruel than kind. Continuing on in silence Lilia tried not to think of anything other than the feel of the fine rain that rolled down her face and caused her robe to cling to her skin. She'd let the sky cry for her; getting mired in her emotions didn't do anyone any good. There were far more practical things she could be doing with her time.

Though she couldn't help ponder Wulfgar's words as he murmured beside her. What did he mean by 'stubborn as a Mid Year day is long?'


	104. Chapter 104: Paradise

The enthusiastic shouts of greeting when they walked into the room were very loud and heartfelt. While much of it was a roar she was able to make out the phrase 'Saviour of Bruma' being called out by many of the patrons.

"The Saviour of Bruma has returned triumphant." Carius said as he walked towards them, extending his hand. Bringing hers up to shake it she quickly put it down again. Lilia realized that it wasn't her that the Imperial was speaking to. "Wonderful plan. Thanks to you we've managed to get more than enough to keep the defenders happy tonight."

"Saviour of Bruma?" Lilia giggled as she looked up at Wulfgar. If it wasn't for the way the corners of his mouth were twitched up in a slight smile she'd have thought the title meant nothing to the Nord. But she could see that wasn't quite the case.

"He had a brilliant idea. The troops need to be able to relax." Carius answered while greeting Lilia with a friendly hug. His embrace was slightly stronger than usual. "That was rather intense. And the way you returned did not help."

"It's not like I had any say in the matter." Lilia answered back softly. "Can you tell me what's been happening between then and now? How is everyone?"

"Come, let me buy you a mead. Bleaker's Way was well stocked with it. Nice town but difficult to get to." He answered as he pushed his way through the mass of bodies that crowded the room. The Jerall View Inn had been converted to the healer's headquarters and now Olav's Tap and Tack was the only tavern in town. Lilia had noted the way tables, chairs, benches, and other assorted furniture had been set up outside in the nearby town square to handle the overflow of customers.

Glancing around Lilia was glad to note several familiar faces. She gave a quick wave to Methredhel who was squeezed into the corner table with Ongar. Erthor was talking emphatically to Viera near the side of the room. Agronak was seated against the wall beside Synderius. She wasn't pleased to note the bandages wound around the Dunmer's torso but she smiled nonetheless; Lilia had been convinced that he was dead as she'd run through Oblivion. Seeing him again, even if not entirely in one piece, made her very happy.

"How have you been? And where did you get those ridiculous shoes? I haven't seen much of you in ages." Carius pointed down at the felt shoes Lilia had purchased in Aleswell. They were several sizes too big but they at least had laces. The ribbons were pulled tightly and crossed several times around her ankles. They weren't much, but at least she didn't need to float off the ground anymore.

"I've been busy. Very busy. Though I hear you've been busy too. I understand you've been showing Viera a few new tricks." Lilia teased the man. He looked back at her and for a brief moment she thought she noticed him blush. He'd been staring at the Captain of the Bravil Guards. He really was most unsubtle with his affection. Lilia did not need to be a vampire to know how he felt about the practical woman.

"Viera is a skilled member of the Legion. I've merely been helping her to develop her magical talents." He replied with a straight face before laughing. Lilia had been shaking her head at him while raising an eyebrow in exaggerated disbelief. Carius sighed before continuing. "It's odd. I really like her and for some reason I find her very desirable. But that doesn't make sense to me; she's not at all unusual or exotic, which is what I normally look for. She's actually rather plain but we get along very well together. I think that's why in some ways she reminds me a bit of you."

"You're doing it again." Lilia knew it was their friendship he was trying to refer to.

"Oh! No, I don't mean that you're plain like her. Wait." He grimaced and held up his hands while Lilia tried not to laugh. "I find Viera very attractive even though she's not what others would consider beautiful. Similar to you. Not to say that I think you're attractive." The man was now very flustered and Lilia was chuckling into her hands. "Oh dear. You're not ugly."

"Stop." Lilia stammered out between giggles before sighing happily. It was always amusing to chat with Carius. "I know what you're trying to say so you can stop trying to say it. Tell me, does Viera like poetry?"

"She can't stand it." Carius replied with a large smile.

"Is she any good at telekinesis?"

"Yes. She can even peel oranges now without making a mess. That was a very sticky lesson." His answer caused Lilia to laugh.

"And do you actually enjoy spending time with her? Do you look forward to being with her?" She inquired a bit more seriously. He thought about the question for a moment before nodding gently.

"Yes. I really do."

"Then I think you're a very lucky man and you shouldn't be wasting any more time talking to me. Besides, I think she needs rescuing from Erthor. The mer's been ranting to her about something the whole time I've been here." Lilia watched the excited Wood Elf as his arms continued to randomly gesture. It was a good thing they weren't overly long. He'd have knocked over several patrons by now if he had a bigger reach.

"Delphine." Carius muttered by way of explanation. "She exploded another spider daedra during the battle. Poor Erthor ended up losing his footing in the mess and sliding down the slope right into a clannfear. He's been giving Viera helpful suggestions as to how we could better control the mages next time."

"Oh dear, I hope he isn't too mad with Delphine." Raminus had told Lilia that the Breton had accepted the post in Chorrol.

"No, he's not really mad at her. Especially since she exploded the clannfear before it could do too much damage to him. Quite honestly I think he's more upset that between the muck and the clannfear's claws it ruined his clothes. Bosmers are just such odd creatures." Carius gave Lilia a strange look as he answered. She knew he had no idea why his words had caused her sudden outburst of laughter.

Taking the bottles of mead that had finally been put on the counter by a very busy Olav she followed Carius over towards the side of the room before taking her leave of him. She headed towards the grey Orc and the wounded Dunmer.

"Lilia! Blessings of the Nine on your small hovel and all that. I'd tell you to pull up a chair but we seem to be out of those. You can sit on the table if you want." Agronak's greeting made her laugh as he gave her a hug.

"Blessings of Aetherius on your large hovel and all that. I'm okay to stand." She answered as he sat back down. Looking over to Synderius she didn't even get a chance to greet him.

"Don't even think about trying to heal me. Do you have any idea how hard I had to fight off that infernal Cirroc? I'm perfectly fine." The Dunmer's voice held a distinct note of warning that greatly confused Lilia.

"I told you he was crazy. Damn fool wants the wounds to heal naturally." Agronak shook his head while staring at Synderius. "Didn't you learn last time when you lost part of your hearing because you liked the way your nose had been broken by that warhammer? Daft s'wit wouldn't let the healers fix up his head."

"You want them to heal naturally?" Lilia looked sharply at the mer as she asked. Synderius stared back with a look of defiance.

"How do you think I got all of these scars in the first place? The Basin gives you baby smooth skin like that Irc after every match. Pompous noble wouldn't understand. A warrior needs to have some battle scars." The Dunmer's glare softened as he noted Lilia nodding her head at his words. "Do you know how good these teeth marks are going to look once they've healed? I've been in the Battle of Bruma. At the very least I should have something to show for it. Besides, people love to hear the stories of how I got my scars whenever I meet them."

"You are crazy but I think I understand. Though I can't understand why you're sitting here in a tavern rather than resting with the healers. You should still be looked after until you're a bit more patched up." She couldn't figure out why Synderius grimaced at her question and Agronak suddenly burst out laughing.

"Even I wouldn't wish that on him. You really shouldn't have said what you did in your speech to the troops." The Orcperial replied.

"What did I say?" While she might not be a polished noble she hadn't thought her words had been that bad.

"Poems will be penned about the brave warriors of Tamriel. Did you have to make that suggestion?" The mer grumbled at her. "Because that damned woman Captain Lex is always hanging around with has taken it upon herself to do just that. She's wandering around the Jerall View Inn tormenting the wounded with her epic poem about our heroic deeds."

"Lyra? She's harassing the injured?" That didn't sound like the sweet Imperial.

"Well, she's not really harassing them. She's actually assisting the healers quite a bit. But she won't stop reciting her original works while she does so. And Hieronymus isn't helping things; he keeps encouraging her to share the piece about the troll." Agronak shook his head sorrowfully as he answered.

Lilia was laughing so hard she couldn't continue the conversation. The arms that grabbed her and squeezed her tightly helped her to calm down. Methredhel had managed to work her way over to join them and was now giving Lilia a big hug.

"You're not going to kick me again, are you Martabell?" Lilia asked the mer. Methredhel stepped back and she noticed that the Wood Elf didn't look the least bit angry.

"No, Lilanina. While you deserve much worse for terrifying me like that I'm just happy you're safe and in one piece." She answered with a grin. "And I'm glad you decided to come join your friends for the celebration. It's where you belong after all."

The Bosmer's words were so touching Lilia couldn't help smiling as she glanced around and saw so many familiar faces in the tavern laughing, talking, and savouring their victory. For the first time in a long time she truly felt like she was on the inside, that she was a part of the festivities.

And so she couldn't figure out why she felt as if it wasn't at all where she wanted to be.

* * *

"Count Hassildor, blessings of the Nine upon you and your charming city. Fathis, you're looking well. Baurus, it's always a pleasure." Lilia greeted her friends as she entered the great hall trailed by Wulfgar. She hadn't even looked over to Martin yet as he stood by the fire preparing for the ritual. "Grandmaster. Martin." 

There was no question of the disdainful expression she gave him as she briefly glanced at him before turning back to accept her offered green robe from Baurus. Lilia was now dressed in her assorted armour. Martin had heard that she'd been down in Bruma. It annoyed him that she'd chosen to spend her last hours before the ritual drinking mead in a seedy tavern instead of up here at Cloud Ruler Temple where she belonged.

"Lilia, come. We should talk." The bored look she gave him as she turned around hurt him to see; she'd never looked at him as if he was so inconsequential before.

"If it's about the ritual we can speak here. Anything else can wait. It's of no importance." Lilia answered airily with a dismissive wave of her hand. The small smile she wore didn't extend past her mouth. It was as false as the ones she gave Jauffre.

"I wanted you to know that the portal won't remain open. You'll have to take everything you think you'll need with you." As he spoke he looked for some indication that she felt anything for him other than the thinly veiled contempt she was currently displaying.

"Yes, you've told me that before. Let me know if you have anything new to add." She replied with perfect politeness and turned her back on him once more. Martin nodded to himself before looking over to his notes. Surely she was just upset with him. He could always try talking to her after she returned. He stopped paying attention to the words on the parchment as he overheard Lilia's conversation with Janus.

"When you get back you'll have to go with Martin to the Imperial City to present him. Do you know what to say?" Count Hassildor asked.

"I'm not going to say anything. I've only ever been the temporary steward. Once I return with the amulet I'll let the Blades take over." Lilia replied.

"Really? And what business do you have to attend to that you'd resign your post so quickly?"

"The business of my life. I'm quite looking forward to being independent again. I'm sure Martin is just as sick of me hanging around him as I am." Her words were like a small needle piercing his heart; he didn't think she felt so little for him. She must at least care for him as a friend.

"Surely you'll attend the coronation."

"No, probably not. I'm thinking of heading to Arteum for a while. There are still several years worth of training I haven't taken. Don't worry, I'll come visit you every now and again. And Fathis too, of course." Martin began to worry at her reply. She couldn't leave him so soon and for so long.

"You'll not stay in Cyrodiil?"

"No. There's nothing that holds me here. It isn't my home. My heart isn't in it." Martin was coming to the conclusion that Baurus was very wrong about Lilia. She sounded so happy as she talked about leaving the province. About leaving him.

"Then you probably wouldn't want land as a reward. Too bad. I was hoping you'd move into Fort Redman. It's time you got yourself a Tel." Fathis interjected. They'd been discussing suitable rewards for Lilia's aid in what was now being termed the 'Oblivion Crisis.' It had been Jauffre's idea that she receive something for her efforts. Martin was glad that the two of them were at least getting along, though he knew Lilia intensely distrusted the Grandmaster.

"I keep telling you I'm not a Telvanni. At least, I don't think I am. Besides land is the last thing I want. No, the only reward I look forward to is putting all of this far behind me. It's not exactly been my idea of fun."

Martin slammed down the _Mysterium Xarxes_ on the table. Hearing her speak so poorly of her time with him was too much to take. Everyone was staring at him now but he only noticed the way Lilia regarded him with that terribly bored expression. It was as if she saw him as a piece of furniture rather than a person. He gave everyone a tight smile.

"It's time." He stated flatly. Martin looked away from the group and took a deep breath. He hadn't worked with daedric magic in years but felt confident that he'd be able to do it again. It was something that one never forgot how to do.

Moving the items in place while muttering the incantations from the _Mysterium Xarxes_ he stopped worrying about Lilia, his future role as the Emperor, or anything else. Everything was focused on the magics of creation and destruction as he used the powerful artifacts to force open a portal to Paradise.

With a final word he found his vision filled with blue flames. The portal shimmered in front of him. The ritual had worked. All of that effort had rewarded them with a chance to retrieve the amulet. Martin watched as Lilia stepped purposefully towards the gate into Mankar Camoran's Paradise.

"Be right back." He whispered at her, sure she wouldn't hear him. To his surprise the wavering figure he saw through the daedric fire that separated them briefly hesitated before answering.

"I always am."

With that she stepped through the portal. As it collapsed behind her he wondered just what horrors she was about to face because of him, and just what forces compelled her to do so.

* * *

Paradise. Lilia looked around and realized she could think of no better word for it. The realm was unlike anything she'd before encountered either in Mehrunes Dagon's planes or her own. The glow of light on the horizon was a breathtaking rosy gold, causing the lush trees and blooming flowers to reflect back the warm light, looking as though they were radiating love along with sunshine. A white stone path beckoned her on, leading her further into the lands. For a madman Mankar Camoran had exquisite tastes. 

Stepping silently along the path, hidden away with invisibility, Lilia mused on the paradox of the mer responsible for such devastation at Kvatch creating a realm with such beauty. She froze when a voice suddenly resonated through her mind, full and clear. He knew. Mankar Camoran already knew she was here.

It didn't surprise her too much. She'd had the same powers in the Shivering Isles. As the Daedric Prince of the realm she could hear everything that happened, every word spoken, every whisper, murmur, and groan. At first she'd worried that she was already mad as the voices had echoed through her mind. But she'd quickly realized that she could ignore them if she chose, relegating them to a background murmur. Not that she'd done much of it. As soon as she'd figured out how to do so she'd destroyed her realm, releasing the souls who made up the occupants. Lilia sincerely hoped they'd found their way to Aetherius; the idea that she'd relegated them all to the Void was something she hated to contemplate.

"So, the cat's-paw of the Septims arrives at last. You didn't think you could take me unawares, here of all places? In the Paradise that I created? Look now upon my Paradise. Gaiar Alata, in the old tongue. A vision of the past...and the future. Behold the Savage Garden, where my disciples are tempered for a higher destiny: to rule over Tamriel Reborn. If you are truly the hero of destiny, as I hope, the Garden will not hold you for long. Lift your eyes to Carac Agaialor, my seat at the pinnacle of Paradise. I shall await you there."

She continued moving slowly along the path, glimpsing a calm sea in between the trees to her right, the water sparkling with that same soft light that lit the archway ahead of her. The architecture was unmistakeable.

Ayleidic. Mankar had modeled his Paradise, his Gaiar Alata, on the Ayleids. It was fascinating to get a glimpse of what it must have looked like all of those eras ago, before their cities had crumbled to ruins, the white stone darkened and stained with time. She didn't particularly care for the choice. Despite their artistic beauty the Ayleids had been wicked mer, living in a society based on the slavery and dominion over the various races of Tamriel. It had taken the influence of the Nine and the bravery of St. Alessia and her companions to finally topple their rule.

She froze as a purple shape suddenly appeared in her range of detection. Lilia watched as a Redguard, dressed in nothing but rags and carrying a thick tree limb like a club, ran across the path in front of her. The soul was terrified. That in itself was unusual as Redguards were renowned for their courage. The question as to why he was so frightened quickly revealed itself in the form of a dremora warrior. The daedric clad demon raced after him, a wicked smile on his hideous face.

"On your belly, nikyn." Lilia involuntarily blinked in surprise as she heard the metallic threat that rattled out from it's sneering lips.

"How little you understand! The Principalities have sparkled as gems in the black reaches of Oblivion since the First Morning. Many are their names and the names of their masters: the Coldharbour of Meridia, Peryrite's Quagmire, the ten Moonshadows of Mephala, ...and Dawn's Beauty, the Princedom of Lorkhan... misnamed 'Tamriel' by deluded mortals." Mankar's voice caused her to disregard the plight of the man and begin walking along the path again.

Something was definitely wrong with Mankar Camoran's Paradise. As she walked on in silence she realized that there were no other noises besides the very gentle breeze that ruffled the leaves around her. He'd not created any birds, beasts, or insects in his realm. It was nothing but souls and daedra. Faint cries on the wind made it to her keen ears and Lilia shivered. She was starting to get the impression that Paradise was actually Hell in disguise.

A dremora stood in front of a bridge that led to a rocky cliff face. A magically fastened door was set into the rock and she had no doubt she'd be unable to open it on her own. The strange enchantment was strong but it couldn't block out the faint trace of the Amulet of Kings. She'd felt it's unique magic as soon as she'd entered the plane and each step had been bringing her progressively closer. Stopping she pondered her options. It appeared as though she had no choice but to go through the bridge and into the caves. But if that was true, then why was the amulet calling to her from above rather than ahead? Surveying the white rock she smiled. While she couldn't levitate effectively she could climb rather well. Briefly Lilia wondered if Mankar had ever expected her to do that.

* * *

Martin sat near the fire, watching as the light of the flames danced across the hands on his lap. The contrast between the cheap metal that ringed most of his fingers and the exquisite velvet of his robes below them was very obvious. He remembered how much he'd disliked the idea of wearing all of those gaudy rings. Now he didn't ever want to take them off. If anything was out of place it was the Emperor's Robes that he was clad in. Jauffre had given them to him for the ceremony at White Gold Tower. According to the Grandmaster Martin needed to be recognized as the Emperor before he could relight the Dragonfires. Baurus had already gone to the Imperial City to prepare Ocato for his arrival. 

"Have you given any thought as to your first duty as Emperor?" Count Hassildor asked as he sat down across from Martin. The vampire had been very helpful as he'd tried to prepare Martin for his upcoming responsibilities.

"Which duty is that?" Fathis asked as he sat down in a chair next to Martin. He glanced over at the Dunmer. The Dark Elf always wore his dwarven armour over and under his robes. It reminded him of Lilia's insistence that he always be armoured as well. She was as paranoid as a Telvanni and she'd used her suspicions to try and keep him alive. He wondered if it had merely been Divine suggestion that had made her do that. He was still struggling with her motivations for her actions. Because none of it made any sense.

"Of securing the throne against this situation from occurring again. He needs to marry. There must be an heir sooner rather than later." Janus answered with a nod.

"Marriage? That's not something I've thought about." He frowned at his hands as he spoke. There were so many obligations on him now. He couldn't imagine struggling to fulfill them all while worrying about finding a bride.

"Hmph. I'm not surprised. Well, I have been giving the matter a small bit of thought. Normally you'd choose from among the eligible Cyrodiilic nobility. But there aren't any ladies of the proper age or background available. It's a pity. Narina would have made an excellent Empress." Janus paused, noting Martin's surprised look. "You don't honestly expect it to be some sort of love match, do you? No, that's now how it works."

"So does that mean he'll have to wed someone who isn't an Imperial?" Fathis asked, a small smile on his lips.

"Yes, but you can forget about trying to place a Telvanni on the throne. I'm sure that would work perfectly until their first serious argument. It wouldn't do to have the Empress kill the Emperor to prove that her opinion was the correct one." Count Hassildor replied archly.

"You do have a point. That's why Telvanni seldom wed. It's far safer to just live separately." Fathis chuckled. "But a Dunmer would work out well. Look at Empress Katariah. She ruled in Pelagius the Mad's stead and is the most beloved of all Empresses. And you can't forget about Queen Barenziah. She's an excellent ruler. Most Dunmer have a keen grasp on politics."

"Yes, but such a choice would surely annoy the Altmer and the Bretons. He can't afford to alienate their support right away. Which is why any of the beast races are out; none of the other provinces would accept such a match."

"You're not suggesting a Wood Elf then, are you? You'd end up with an Empress that climbs the walls." The mer sounded vaguely horrified with the idea.

"No. Certainly not. There is no need to worry about the goodwill of the strange mer of Valenwood. They probably wouldn't care if he married a zombie. And an Altmer isn't feasible either. Such a choice would annoy the Dark Elves." Janus smirked at Fathis' expression of distaste at the idea.

"So that leaves him with what to choose from?"

"One of the races of men. I'd advise a noble from High Rock; the Bretons are traditional allies of Cyrodiil. And they have many minor nobles to choose from. The only drawback will be determining all of the political implications of his choice. Breton politics make Telvanni politics look like child's play."

"There's no trick to Telvanni politics. All you need to know is who currently is displaying the most amount of power, while bearing in mind who might be hiding even greater power from view." Fathis added helpfully. Martin's head was swimming; there was too much to try and digest.

"Is that before or after you factor in their collection of powerful artifacts? Speaking of which I'm surprised you haven't earned that pendant from Wulfgar yet." Janus' voice dripped with sarcasm as he spoke.

"Why would I do a thing like that? I have no need of such a bauble. I merely wish I had the soul of a golden saint to work with. The power is quite useful for enchanting, even more so than a vampire's soul. The only thing they're good for is making trinkets like that." Fathis gestured idly towards Martin's hands.

"Like what?" He asked. The mer smiled and leaned over, pointing to the ebony and gold band on his pinky.

"Like that. That's the Ring of Linoril. Linoril was a vampire ancient whose soul was captured by a Dark mage. I remember hearing about the ring back when I was just a young mer. Rumour held that another vampire killed the Necromancer who made it, most likely in revenge. Never heard another thing about it until Lilia showed up. She said it was an old family heirloom, just like her shortsword."

Martin closed his eyes and sighed. All of those conflicting things that Lilia had done and said had been running through his mind. He felt that there was some pattern to them that he just wasn't seeing. And now he'd learnt that this ring, this remarkably powerful ring he'd never paid much notice too, had been in the possession of a vampire. Vicente had been a vampire and Lilia had been wearing the ring. And yet as a vampire she'd had no need for it. She'd explained that it conferred almost the same protection as the disease did. But she had been wearing it rather than another cheap ring of luck.

The remembrance of the words she'd hissed at him came back to him. Vicente had given her a ring and his sword. The discussion after Wulfgar's arrival bubbled up from his memories. She'd mentioned giving him treasured possessions. She was a rather practical woman for someone so strange and yet she'd wasted valuable space on her finger with a ring that did nothing to aid her. And when Martin had remarked that it fit she'd muttered up at the ceiling in response.

Could she have felt something for him then? Had she felt something for him all along? But then why had she always flinched away from his touch? And he still wasn't sure what she'd meant as she'd complained about him being far more cruel than she thought possible this afternoon. Cruel how? Cruel because she disliked him so much that his touch was anathema to her? Or cruel because it was something she wanted so much?

"What does it feel like when a vampire bites someone?" He suddenly asked Janus, trying not to betray his burning curiosity. Martin desperately wanted to know the answer to that question.

"I wouldn't know." Count Hassildor replied dryly and Martin's stomach sank. The Imperial was the only one who could tell him that apart from Lilia, and she was off in Paradise at the moment. Janus sighed and shook his head. "But I have heard that the bite hurts. And that there is allegedly some sort of emotional transference that occurs. Rumour holds that the victim can experience the vampire's feelings during the attack."

Martin tried to stay calm as his mind raced and he didn't notice that Janus was now studying him intently. Lilia had bitten him and he'd felt sudden strange feelings inside. If they were hers then he knew that she'd hated herself as she'd fed on him; it explained why she'd been so reluctant to bite him in the first place. But that warm glow he'd felt inside at the end, the memory that he secretly pondered in the back of his mind, had been the complete opposite. It had felt like…love.

She loved him. The sudden knowledge threatened to make him break into a goofy grin. Lilia loved him. But then why did she act as if she had no interest in him, as if he was a trifling bug unworthy of notice? And how had he been cruel by holding her? He'd thought she'd been the cruel one by suddenly bringing something that felt so good to a halt.

The sudden insight threatened to make him curse. It was so obvious and he'd missed it. She'd not wanted to be touched because she didn't want him to know. Those dark thoughts she'd told him that she had for him had been the truth. He'd just misinterpreted her as Jauffre had her confession about being a trained assassin. It wasn't that she wanted to harm him, it was that she wanted to have him. And he'd been heedless of it all, culminating with her accusations that he wanted her merely as a mistress. Martin was sure that was the last thing she'd be satisfied with. Her past history notwithstanding she didn't just want him. She loved him.

And he loved her back.

* * *

She sat on the fragrant grass and stared at the palace far before her. Carac Agaialor. It was magnificent. She took in the sight of the arches of finely carved white marble, the morning glories that blossomed against it, their tendrils entwined around them. The deep blue and purple blossoms contrasted vibrantly with the bright stone. It was perched up so high that the view of the woods below and the surrounding sea was breathtaking. The only sour note was the continuing talk that ran through her mind. 

"Yes, you understand now. Tamriel is just one more Daedric realm of Oblivion, long since lost to its Prince when he was betrayed by those that served him. Lord Dagon cannot invade Tamriel, his birthright! He comes to liberate the Occupied Lands! Ask yourself! How is it that mighty gods die, yet the Daedra stand incorruptible? How is it that the Daedra forthrightly proclaim themselves to man, while the gods cower behind statues and the faithless words of traitor-priests? It is simple... they are not gods at all."

Lilia paused as she stood up, absorbing the words he'd just said. Looking around she saw nobody near her and dared to take a chance.

"Tell me more."

* * *

"Tell me more." The faintest whisper came through the realm to his mind and Mankar Camoran smiled. The lapdog of the Imperial pretender was curious. Surely her masters had seen fit to conceal the truth from her. Praise Dagon that he was no longer as blind as she. 

"The truth has been in front of you since first you were born: the Daedra are the true gods of this universe. Julianos and Dibella and Stendarr are all Lorkhan's betrayers, posing as divinities in a principality that has lost its guiding light. What are Scholarship, Love, and Mercy when compared to Fate, Night, and Destruction? The gods you worship are trifling shadows of First Causes. They have tricked you for Ages. Why do you think your world has always been contested ground, the arena of powers and immortals? It is Tamriel, the realm of Change, brother to Madness, sister to Deceit." He spoke the words silently; sure that she'd receive them. This creature, this pitiful excuse for a Daedric Prince, had been far more of a thorn in their side than she realized. But even all of her valiant efforts were pointless. The time of cleansing was at hand.

"Dagon told you all this?" That same soft whisper. She was closer now. Somehow she'd reached the plateau without traversing the Forbidden Grotto. It was no matter as she was in his realm now. How little she understood.

"Your false gods could not entirely rewrite history. Thus you remember tales of Lorkhan, vilified, a dead trickster, whose heart came to Tamriel. But if a god can die, how does his heart survive? He is daedroth! TAMRIEL AE DAEDROTH! This Heart is the heart of the world, for one was made to satisfy the other. You all remember this. It is in every legend. Daedra cannot die, so your so-called gods cannot erase him from your minds completely."

"Tamriel ae Daedroth." The gentle murmur reached his mind. Perhaps she was beginning to understand. She was even closer now, making her way through his courtyard. She must be moving invisibly. His agent had reported that she often did that, favouring stealth over direct confrontation. He knew much about her, more than she could possibly realize. For not only had their agent learnt all that could be learnt about her recent history, but also Lord Dagon had seen fit to reveal that she was Sheogorath, the false Madgod. And yet she was still mortal, not yet ascended to take her place among the Daedra.

"Well done, champion! Your progress is swift and sure. Perhaps you will reach me after all. You think I mock you? Not at all. In your coming, I hear the footsteps of Fate. You are the last defender of decadent Tamriel. I am the midwife of the Mythic Dawn, Tamriel Reborn. I welcome you, if you truly are the agent of Fate. I tire of the self-styled heroes who set themselves in my path, only to prove unworthy in the event."

So many had tried and failed to stop Lord Dagon, to stop the coming of the Dawn. But it could not be stopped; the time of preparation was over. Soon Lord Dagon would reclaim his realm and Mankar would be there beside him, helping to reshape Tamriel into Gaiar Alata. Paradise reborn.

The purple glow walking up the hall towards him caused a small smirk to form on his lips. She was as predictable as he'd been forewarned. Tracking her progress towards his throne she suddenly revealed herself to him. The sight of the Emperor's pathetic champion, dressed in such an absurd fashion, daring to approach Mankar Camoran in his Paradise armed with a mere sword was laughable. But he did not chuckle as he let her approach. Instead he waited.

It wasn't until she'd reached the bottom of the steps that led up to his throne did he act. The paralyzation spell he'd been preparing shot out from his hands and she froze in her tracks. Stepping off of his throne he walked slowly down to her. This time he spoke his words out loud.

"I have waited a long time for you, Champion of Old Tamriel. You are the last gasp of a dying age. You breathe the stale air of false hope. How little you understand! You cannot stop Lord Dagon. The walls between our worlds are crumbling. The Mythic Dawn grows nearer with every rift in the firmament. Soon, very soon, the lines now blurred will be erased. Tamriel and Oblivion rejoined! The Mythic Age reborn! " Calmly he lectured her as he walked around her, surveying the woman who had killed so many of his followers, caused the death of his children. She failed to understand that her actions meant nothing; once the boundaries between the realms were erased they would once more walk among mortals. But this time they would be as Gods.

"Lord Dagon shall walk Tamriel again. The world shall be remade. The new age shall rise from the ashes of the old. My vision shall be realized. Weakness will be purged from the world, and mortal and immortal alike purified in the refiner's fire. My long duel with the Septims is over, and I have the mastery. " The defeat of his father, Haymon Camoran, at the hands of the Empire was only the first skirmish, the first battle. His father had failed his master, Lord Dagon. Jagar Tharn had also failed in his tasks. But he was better than them, stronger, more powerful, unstoppable.

And now the champion of the bastard son of a dead Emperor stood immobile in his palace. Her unblinking grey eyes remained fixed on his empty throne. For a moment he almost thought he saw the light of understanding within them.

"The Emperor is dead. The Amulet of Kings is mine. And the last defender of the last ragged Septim stands before me, in the heart of my power. Let us see who at last has proved the stronger!" He stood in front of her and stared down at this so-called Daughter of Tamriel. Every weakness, every foolishness, every proud mistake of the races of the Empire was personified in this contemptible creature before him. Lord Dagon will be pleased with his present of her broken body. It was such a pity that they would not be able to keep her soul. As he contemplated just which spell to use on her first, debating between a blast of frost or searing heat, she did something that paralyzed people normally couldn't do.

She _spoke_.

* * *

"Tamriel ae Aedroth." Lilia said to Mankar Camoran as she brought the shortsword up as quickly as she could, her speed aided by the pendant around her neck. The weapon sliced right into his belly, unhindered by the enchanted robe he wore as protection. Pain tore through her but she pushed on, feeling the vibration of the daedric metal scraping along his spine as she pressed it upwards. Her other hand reached out and grabbed the Amulet of Kings that he wore around his neck and it came off with a gentle tug. Which was a good thing, as that was all the force she could manage as her legs buckled out from under her. 

Lies. The madman had orchestrated all of this because of lies. Mehrunes Dagon spoke false. Lilia knew all too well the reality of the Nine, the veracity of their power over Nirn. She'd experienced firsthand the awesome force of Stendarr through her body. For the last sixteen years she'd been their unwitting servant, following them blindly as they'd guided her around. And as she crumpled to the ground she clutched the amulet to her chest and sent healing magic into her body while praying fervently to them for forgiveness of her doubt and blasphemies.

This had to be it. This had to be the reason they'd made her a vampire. Surely they'd known he would choose to paralyze her as she approached him. Not only was she immune to the spell but she could also fake the effects. Mortals couldn't go so long without blinking. His confidence that his spell had worked had caused him to come so close, allowing her the only opportunity she had to defeat him. He'd been tracking her movement through the throne room; he'd certainly known to use a detect life spell. Sneak attacks would not have worked.

And his magical power was staggering. She'd not felt such force since she'd encountered Mannimarco, and Lilia remembered how well that had turned out. If it hadn't been for Hanarai she wouldn't have survived. As she'd made her was slowly, ever so slowly, to Mankar she'd tried to decipher the cloak of spells woven around him. Absorption, reflection, resistance; they'd not coated Martin in such a powerful shield when they'd brought him down to Bruma. It was then that Lilia knew no magic of hers could possibly work against him.

Her only hope had been brute force, but she'd been afraid to lunge too soon. Judging by the magicka that had emanated from him she'd most likely not survive any attacks of his, and if she shielded herself magically he'd know her intentions. And so she'd chosen to walk towards him, sword in hand, slowing her pace to appear mortal while hoping that her obvious intentions wouldn't be obvious at all. For a while she'd entertained thoughts of trying to convince him to let her join him, trying to lure him into trusting her, but that plan had fallen to the wayside when she'd seen Raven and Ruma Camoran lounging in the courtyard. The leader of the Mythic Dawn would not soon trust the woman who had caused the death of his two children.

Blood trickled out from under her cuirass and she redoubled her efforts to heal herself as the realm crumbled away around her. There was so much blood, so much to do with blood. The blood of Mankar Camoran still seeping out from his body, her blood streaming to the floor, the Divine blood of kings, the blood of Molag Bal, the blood of the Aedra, the blood of a Daedric Prince.

As she felt everything slipping away from her she implored the Nine once more to use her for their purposes, to do what they wished with her so long as they prevented Mehrunes Dagon from walking the realm of Nirn, spilling the blood of the Empire in his wake.


	105. Chapter 105: Dragon's Blood

"Who are you?" He asked the prone figure lying on the ground, securely pinned down with magicka. She'd begun moving her head appearing as though she was about to wake up. Martin absently touched the amulet around his neck as he watched her with trepidation. Lilia had done it; she'd recovered the Amulet of Kings from Paradise. But she'd barely been conscious when she'd returned, slipping in and out of reality, and he wondered just what she would be when she fully awoke.

He still wasn't sure how she'd managed to get such a strange wound. The blood that had been dripping from under her fastened cuirass and intact tunic had been coming from a laceration running up her stomach. It wasn't deep enough to be fatal, but it had proven rather resistant to healing. Martin had managed to close it wondering all the while how she'd been cut in such a fashion and with what sort of a weapon. Especially since it had refused to heal completely, leaving a thin scar behind.

"Who am I?" Lilia muttered back at him. "Where am I?"

"On the floor of Cloud Ruler Temple." Fathis answered her. The mer was still unclear as to why he and Janus had been ordered to keep Lilia silenced and stuck to the ground with their magics but had complied with Martin's strange request.

"Who are you?" Martin asked again impatiently, waiting for her to respond. The Staff of Sheogorath had been destroyed in the ritual but neither of them knew if that would be enough to save her sanity. If she was Lilia then he'd have them let her go, but if she was the Madgod…

"Silenced and trapped, how oddly familiar." She murmured with a smile. "Sorry to disappoint but you can let me up. I'm Lilia."

With a wave towards the confused Count and Telvanni to indicate they could drop their spells he quickly strode over towards her. He'd been standing far back waiting for her to wake. Lilia looked up at him as she started trying to push herself up from the floor. She was smiling happier than he'd ever seen.

"I'm Lilia. I'm only Lilia now. It worked. The curse is gone." She chatted brightly to him as he grabbed her arms and dragged her up to stand. Once she was upright he didn't hesitate to pull off that ridiculous pointed helmet of hers and toss it to the floor. The strange look she gave him at that action quickly changed to one of understanding as he pulled her in for a kiss.

As far as kisses went it wasn't the best he'd ever had. She began by trying to squirm away but he held her tight. He was not about to let her run away from him again and somehow she seemed to realize it. Her resistance melted as she kissed him back. It may not have been the most romantic thing he'd ever experienced, but it was the most meaningful. He'd never kissed the woman he loved before.

"Looks like he'll end up with a wall climber after all." Fathis' soft comment caused him to chuckle, his lips breaking away from Lilia's. She didn't seem to be much more in control of her own. Her mouth was stretched tight in a ridiculously goofy grin. It was rather difficult to kiss when one's lips weren't cooperating.

Her grin fell as she looked at the Amulet of Kings around his neck. Her face slackened and her eyes went wide. He recognized the look as the one she wore when trying to scry using the mysticism training she'd received in Arteum. The hands that gripped his shoulders tightly caused him to wince. Lilia's face now wore an anguished expression as she looked back up to him.

"Something's wrong with Aetherius." She whispered as if not daring to speak the words out loud. "We're out of time."

* * *

This was certainly not how he'd expected things to go. Standing exhausted in the middle of the Elder Council Chambers with sore muscles and a frightened steward wasn't quite how he'd pictured being pronounced Emperor. Lilia was so tense he was surprised that magical lightning wasn't arcing off of her body.

"By ancient tradition I may not present myself as a candidate for the throne. I need you to formally present my claim to Chancellor Ocato." He reminded her. She was staring up at the ceiling with that same grim expression she'd worn since her dire pronouncement in Cloud Ruler Temple.

Martin didn't know what it was she felt or what was wrong with her; he couldn't feel anything strange in the air. But Lilia had insisted that there had been a shift in the Firmament and not in a good direction. She'd told him in bursts what she'd learnt from Mankar Camoran, her narrative interrupted as she'd called out orders for everyone to hurry as they'd prepared for the journey to the Imperial City. She'd grabbed Martin's hand and almost dragged him off to the stables and had done the same thing once they'd reached the city.

The ride down had been unsettling. It was as if she couldn't decide whether to race off with him alone on their fast horses, or wait for the others to catch up with their slower ones. He still wasn't sure what she thought he needed protection from. Mankar Camoran was dead, his Paradise destroyed, and the Amulet of Kings recovered.

"I present to you Martin Septim heir to the Imperial Throne bearer of the Amulet of Kings." The words raced out of her mouth and Chancellor Ocato stood motionless for a moment, blinking in surprise at the haste of the impatient steward. Lilia noticed and frowned. "Get on with it!"

Martin sighed. At least she hadn't started swearing at the High Chancellor. Praise the Nine for small favours. Ocato turned away from her and bowed low to Martin.

"Martin Septim, on behalf of the Elder Council, I accept your claim to the Imperial Throne. We should arrange the coronation ceremony as soon as..." Ocato wasn't able to finish his thought. The slamming open of the Council chamber doors and Lilia's loud moan cut him off. Though Martin didn't really hear any of it. He was too busy trying to handle the wave of illness that had suddenly washed over him.

"Chancellor Ocato! The city is under attack! Oblivion Gates have opened, and daedra are inside the walls! The guard is overwhelmed!" The messenger's words explained it. He'd felt the same way when the great gate had opened at Kvatch. But the idea of daedra here in the city was more horrifying than even that experience had been.

"No no no no no." Lilia kept repeating softly to herself as she stared blindly at a spot on the floor. Martin was worried about her. This was not at all like her. Normally she was the one in charge, bossing people around and making him feel calm and secure. But to see her so...terrified chilled him to the core.

"Should we order the guard to fall back to the palace?" Ocato asked Martin. The mer was clearly looking to him to make the decision. The enormity of the question hit him hard as he realized he was now the Emperor of Tamriel. And he wasn't at all sure what to do.

"We could go to the Arcane University. They could probably figure out a way to teleport him out of here." Fathis suggested. The mer had come down with them from Cloud Ruler Temple. Lilia had ordered Count Hassildor off to Bruma to rally the troops there and bring them as quickly as possible. Martin bitterly wished that the army she'd created was here with him now.

"No. We have to get to the temple." Martin dismissed the idea. He may now be the Emperor but the Dragonfires were still dark. Lighting them was their only hope of ending this once and for all. He quickly walked over and grabbed Lilia's hand, tugging her forward and trying to bring her back to reality. She was behaving as if in a trance. "Come, we must hurry."

"Right." She shook her head as he noticed she once more seemed to be in the present. "Let the guard handle the daedra. Put on the ring and let's go."

He slipped the Ring of Khajiit back on. She'd given it to him as they'd left Cloud Ruler Temple but he'd removed it to be visible to Chancellor Ocato. The mer had made a comment about recognizing Martin as Uriel's son as soon as he saw him. Something to do with his eyes.

The small party made their way out into the Palace district and Martin's mouth went dry as he beheld the change in the city. The sky was filled with rolling red clouds and the bright daedric fires of Oblivion portals could be seen throughout the districts. He didn't have time to stare as Lilia had begun dragging him off again in the direction of the Temple district.

"There's so many." Baurus commented in a small voice as they ran around the walkway that ringed White Gold Tower. So far they'd seen three gates just in this district alone. All manner of daedra were emerging and unlike the Battle of Bruma they weren't coming in waves but in a steady trickle. The confidence of such an attack was worrisome. Mehrunes Dagon clearly considered the battle already over before it had even begun.

"Keep going. I'll take care of this lot." Fathis ordered. A group of daedra were blocking the gate to the Temple district. Palace guards, dressed in the white armour of their station, were busy trying to defend against them.

"But you don't have any salts." Martin quickly pointed out. To his surprise the mer gave him a cruel smile in response.

"I don't need atronachs for this." With that the Dark Elf walked towards the daedra while extending his arms. Bright energy began glowing around his body and sparks were dancing around him, swirling ever quicker in a vortex of magicka. Bolts of lightning shot out from his fingertips, the blinding bursts arcing from daedra to daedra. The scent of sizzling demon flesh assaulted Martin's nose.

"I must learn how to do that." Lilia murmured in awe as she pulled Martin along while Fathis and the Palace guards dealt with the few surviving attackers. He now understood why Jauffre had been so displeased that Lilia had brought a Telvanni into Cloud Ruler Temple; the wizards were fearsome mages indeed.

Passing into the Temple district Martin heard Ocato curse behind him. There were even more gates and daedra ahead of them. He wasn't sure how they'd possibly get through them all.

"What are those?" Jauffre asked, pointing with his katana at the strange grey figures that had emerged from the closest gate. Martin watched in surprise as the warriors, clad in strange crystalline armour, began attacking the daedra.

"Knights of Order. By the Nine, Jyggalag is having his revenge!" Lilia cried out happily and Martin had no idea what she was talking about but took a small comfort from it. "Don't attack them. I'm sure the Daedric Prince of Order has no love of Dagon's scheme. Come on!"

They ran on around the massive Temple of the One, past the warring armies of Daedric Princes and forces of the Empire. Martin watched fascinated as a group of Knights, their enemies defeated, turned around and ran back into one of the portals. He smiled when the gate closed behind them. Whatever revenge Jyggalag was having couldn't have been timed better.

"Ow!" He exclaimed as he bumped into Lilia, unsure why she'd suddenly frozen in place. "What..."

The question died on his lips as he beheld the sight in front of them. Mehrunes Dagon, Daedric Prince of Destruction, stood near the entrance to the Temple. Hordes of powerful daedra teemed before him. For a moment he thought that the giant daedra was waiting for them.

How was it possible? This violated every law, every principle of daedric magic that he knew. There was no way that Dagon could be here roaming the world of Nirn. This could not be happening.

And yet the massive demon stood here, in the Temple district, towering over the buildings and mortals. He hadn't yet spotted them. Dagon was looking to the other side where more forces of Order had emerged from a nearby gate. The Daedric Prince stomped over towards the offending daedric warriors and the sound of his tread froze Martin's blood, the noise confirming what his eyes didn't want to believe. They were too late. Mehrunes Dagon was walking the land of Tamriel.

"Any suggestions?" Baurus asked and Martin realized that Dagon's nearby forces had noticed them.

"Cover your ears." Lilia ordered while pushing Martin back. As he stepped away from the advancing dremora he pushed his hands against his head. The sounds of battle, though muffled, still made it through.

Wulfgar stepped forward, drew in a deep breath, and proceeded to roar. The impression was that of the ground below them protesting at the daedra that blocked the way. The cobblestones rippled; here and there one broke free of gravity and popped up into the air. The enemy's warriors were knocked back off of their feet. They weren't dead but they certainly were stunned.

"Go. We'll keep them out." The Nord's rumbling voice seemed very quiet in comparison to what he'd just done. Wulfgar pointed at Ocato. "Use your magic to keep Baurus and myself shielded. We'll do the rest."

"Yes." The High Chancellor winced as he answered. Martin didn't doubt that his ears had found the strange magic of the Skaal warrior hard to bear. His own were ringing a bit and he noticed that Lilia was sending restoration magic into hers, her fingers pushed up under her helmet.

"Gods' Blessings on you." Baurus called out to them as Lilia once more began running, her hand pulling Martin along behind her. The daedra on the ground were shifting listlessly and he wondered just how she'd managed to find a Tongue, a practioner of the Way of the Voice.

The Temple doors burst open with the force of Lilia's push to slam against the ancient stone walls as she tugged Martin inside. Jauffre ran in behind them and he barred the door as Lilia half guided, half shoved Martin in the direction of the altar.

"Do it. Fix it. Quickly." She commanded. Martin didn't know just what it was he could do or how this could possibly be fixed. The Firmament had been damaged in an unheard of way. He doubted that the Dragonfires would do anything to save them now.

Stepping forward he held the Amulet up in front of him. From what he'd been told the Gods would do the rest. Lilia was standing beside him and he could sense the panic coming off of her. In all the time he'd known her he'd never seen her anywhere near as frightened as she was now. It was clear that she was terrified and the thought worried him greatly.

"By the grace of the Nine..." He began praying to the Gods, reciting the lines he'd been taught to speak. The litany was cut off as cold so painful it burned arced across his back. As Martin fell stiffly to the floor he watched Lilia go flying to land against the Temple wall. Akaviri clad boots stepped over him and he saw pale blue eyes regard him without emotion before turning away.

"Traitor! Betrayer! Fool!" Lilia shouted at Jauffre as he advanced towards her.

"Fool? I'm not the champion of the soon to be dead Emperor. How painful it must be for you to see your little Priest of Akatosh dying in front of your eyes as the poison takes hold. It's a very costly mixture: harrada, spiddal stick, frost salts, and milk thistle seeds. I find it worth every one of his septims." The Breton sounded very pleased with himself as he pointed idly back at Martin with his katana.

The list of ingredients made Martin begin praying for forgiveness for his failure to the Nine. He knew what the effects of such a poison were - paralysis, silence, and a magically freezing death. Unable to cast any spells to cure himself, with Lilia silenced and trapped to the Temple wall and the doors barred and locked against aid, it appeared as though it had come to an end at last.

"Why? What did Dagon promise you? Money? Power? You idiot! He'll betray you just like all the others." Lilia's voice was derisive. Martin was a bit hurt to hear her goading Jauffre rather than saying her last words to him. Didn't she know what the poison did? Her mother was an accomplished alchemist and Lilia had claimed that as her occupation. He craned his neck to try and get a better look at her and then froze; he'd moved. Understanding began to creep in.

"You don't understand at all, do you? Can you not see the power of Lord Dagon? The Nine are false Gods worshipped by the weak and the blind. Nirn belongs to the daedra! Lord Dagon was the only one bold enough to reclaim his birthright. Tamriel ae Daedroth!" Jauffre's words caused Lilia to snort. Meanwhile Martin was busy wiggling his fingers as his body began to loosen. The fire in his back still hurt but the pain was lessening. And while he could feel blood trickling down his skin he knew the cuirass he'd put on underneath his robes had probably saved his life. The cut was much shallower than Jauffre had intended.

"Tamriel ae Daedroth. So sayeth Lord Dagon, you fetching s'wit. Did you ever stop to think that perhaps Daedric Princes lie? They're really very good at it. They capture a lot more souls that way." Lilia was giving Jauffre one of her large fake smiles as she chatted to him while stuck motionless against the old stone blocks. "If what he claims is true then why did it take so long for him to reclaim his alleged birthright? Why didn't he do it before?"

"Because of the wicked magics of the so-called Gods. The Dragonfires prevented Lord Dagon from walking Nirn earlier. It took over a year for the lingering effects to dissipate. You can't imagine how long this has been planned."

"So tell me. It's not as if I'm going anywhere. Take as much time as you want. I've always found your accent just so captivating." The way Lilia purred her words at Jauffre and winked caused Martin to hold his breath. He had no doubt that the Breton would be horrified by her actions and the absurdity of her pretending to flirt with Jauffre, in the midst of so much destruction and treachery, threatened to make him snicker as he slowly flexed his arms.

"Words can be captivating, but true power is irresistible. I joined the Blades during Jagar Tharn's reign. I worked with him, was loyal to him, even when other members of the Blades began to suspect something was wrong. And near the end he told me of his mysteries, of the source of his power, and warned me of the lies that are woven around us. He told me the truth and ever since that day I've served Lord Dagon."

"And yet Tharn was defeated in the very seat of his power."

"He had failed Dagon too many times. My Lord was not pleased and withdrew his support. It was not the work of a Dunmeri whore and a pathetic champion that brought Uriel back to Nirn. Lord Dagon sent him back on purpose into my influence. The Emperor was a trusting fool. Did you know that he actually requested that I watch over the bastard when his slut of a mother didn't survive the birth?" Jauffre snorted with contempt. "It wasn't hard over the years to suggest that he be cautious, and careful, and plan for secret escape routes and ever smaller numbers of loyal bodyguards. Using the example of Tharn's betrayal it was a simple matter to convince him to order the Blades to stop training so much in the magical arts. The man was weak."

"From the clutches of one traitor to another." Lilia murmured. The Breton didn't seem to notice her as he continued on.

"It tooks me years to move through the ranks, working my way up to the position that Dagon had foretold while pretending to worship the Aedra and love the Empire. It wasn't as easy to manipulate the Blades as it was to trick Uriel. For a while there I was being watched by one of them, but he didn't understand just how clever I was. I turned his suspicions around and made him out to be a traitor. It removed any doubts about me and secured my path."

"How lucky for you." She interjected sarcastically.

"So when you came to Weynon Priory I thought Lord Dagon himself had sent you. To show up dressed in the robes of the Mythic Dawn and deliver the Amulet of Kings right to me was a bit of a surprise and for a moment I thought you were one of us. And when you told me Uriel's last words before running off I knew then that victory was assured. But then you came back."

"I always do." Lilia smugly interrupted.

"It took a bit of work but we managed to attack Kvatch the same day. And when I heard that you'd survived and were returning to the Priory I knew that something was wrong with you. Mankar himself came with some of his best to kill you and the bastard but it didn't work as planned. You were both supposed to be unarmed and resting inside the Priory. Instead you were late. But that didn't matter. We improvised. He took the amulet and I proved my loyalty to the Septims once more."

"Conniving fetcher!" Lilia hissed at him. "I never trusted you."

"I know. And so I tried so hard to remove you from my side. Sending you off to the headquarters of the Mythic Dawn should have worked, but Lord Dagon didn't see fit to warn his followers about you. He wanted to bind you to his cause. He felt that you of all people would recognize the truth when you heard it. Except you didn't take him up on his offer, refusing to accept reality, and instead slaughtered his agents while invisible."

"I rather enjoyed that part of the task." Martin noticed Lilia's wicked smile as he slowly rolled himself over.

"I knew all about Sancre Tor and what lurked inside. The magic of the Underking should have destroyed you. I thought it had but then you came back again. And your influence over the bastard kept growing as you surrounded him with those not under my command. I knew it was only a matter of time before I lost my post one way or another. So I took a risk, hoping that the bastard was as foolish as his father, and offered my resignation. He believed my lies but you didn't, did you?"

"Not for a moment."

"And yet you're trapped, defenceless and alone, while I'm about to be rewarded for my faithful years of service. It doesn't matter that you came back from the great gate or your visit to Paradise. There is no coming back from this. Nirn shall be cleansed and Paradise reborn!" Jauffre's voice was ecstatic as he made his pronouncement.

"Mankar Camoran told me all about that nonsense. Yet even with his almighty power in his precious Gaiar Alata I was still able to kill him." Lilia sneered at the Breton.

"That was a surprise. I really never expected you to survive so long. I was sure that you'd die at Kvatch along with the bastard." The katana waved once more towards Martin and he froze. Jauffre didn't bother looking back at him though. "You're the only one in your family who isn't a bastard, aren't you? Your witch of a mother was and your fool of a father certainly was. Bastard half-breed. He was so paranoid and yet not enough."

"What are you saying?" Lilia snarled out the question.

"You didn't figure it out? It was your father who suspected me. I hired the Dark Brotherhood to kill your family. You were supposed to die too but somehow managed to survive." Jauffre's voice sounded the happiest Martin had ever heard it. "I couldn't let Eraden live. The fetcher was watching me; he knew I was up to something. And so I had to act. A few suggestive words to his superiors and suspicion of his loyalty was planted. They were actually watching him at the end there. You even met one of the Blades assigned to track him. Does the name Bendu Olo ring a bell?"

"Blacklight." Lilia whispered.

"You remember. I'm impressed, given your whoring ways I figured you'd have forgotten him by now. You didn't change, did you? Same spoilt little girl sleeping her way through the Empire. And still quite the deceiver; you almost convinced me that you weren't fooling around with the bastard. I didn't care. I always hoped that your insanity would one day cause you to kill him for me. Yes, Dagon told me about you, Madgod." He could hear that Jauffre was enjoying himself. Though the treacherous Blade kept his back to him Martin was sure that he was sneering at Lilia. "False Daedric Prince, false hero, false protector. You couldn't save him anymore than you could your family. The Dark Elf from the Brotherhood promised me that they'd die in a most painful fashion. He really was such a polite mer. Quite noble in his bearing."

"Banus Alor." As Lilia said the name Martin noticed Jauffre freeze. He didn't know what it meant but she'd obviously surprised the Breton. He waited until Jauffre started speaking again before continuing to slowly press himself up off the ground.

"Yes. Interesting. Most people can't name Speakers of the Dark Brotherhood. You certainly are knowledgeable beyond what could be expected of you. And yet you never knew that you aided me when you covered up your parent's deaths. The Blades were convinced he'd been a traitor and assigned the blame to his imaginary compatriots. And I was rewarded for my loyalty." Jauffre was crowing at her now. "And Dagon will certainly reward me when I present you to him. He's really looking forward to meeting you. It's a pity that he wants you in one piece but he has promised to let me watch."

"Fool! Your reward will be an eternity of Hell!" Lilia shouted at him.

"Stupid bitch! Haven't you been listening? There is no hell, let alone Nine. The Aedra are impostors. This is Dagon's realm now!" Martin froze as Jauffre waved his arms in emphasis. "And you, the Grand Champion, Master Wizard, Champion, Hero of Kvatch, Saviour of Bruma, false Daedric Prince of Insanity, and Imperial Whore can do nothing to stop it. None of your unearned titles or precious friends can save you now. You are alone."

"You left out a few titles." Lilia replied in a syrupy voice. She gave Jauffre the biggest false smile Martin had ever seen. "Novice of Arteum..."

"You're silenced. Psijic or not you have no hope." Jauffre spoke over her but her grin didn't falter.

"...Servant of the Nine..." She continued on while staring at the Breton. Her eyes never glanced to Martin as he crept his way forward.

"The Aedra? Your Gods are going to be struck down by Dagon's might!" He was shouting at her now.

"...and Silencer of the Black Hand." Her smile was sincere as she watched Martin plunge his dagger into the base of Jauffre's skull. Lilia had taught him exactly where to stab to kill instantly; it was one of the many things she'd trained him in. The way she'd constantly pestered him with a quill to the back of the neck had reinforced her lessons. As she slid down the wall to land on her feet she continued speaking to the dead body of the traitorous Grandmaster. "And you're very much mistaken. I'm not alone."

"Silencer of the Black Hand?" He asked as she rushed over to grab him in an embrace. Martin felt restoration magics as well as a dispel enchantments being cast on him. As he moved to kiss her she spun him around and shoved him back at the altar.

"Finish it!" She was right. This was far from over.

Holding up the amulet once more he recited the short blessing that he'd been taught. Nothing happened.

"Try again!" Lilia was hissing at him as she trembled with nervousness.

Trying for a second time he carefully repeated the verses as sincerely as he could. Surely the Aedra would aid them now.

"It's not working. It's not working." Lilia began muttering the phrase repeatedly to herself and Martin glanced noticed that her eyes were unfocussed as she stared unblinking at the altar.

He closed his eyes and tried to control his breathing. It wasn't working and he hadn't expected it to. From what he knew the Dragonfires were only to prevent the daedra from moving so easily to Nirn. Now that the daedra were already here the Dragonfires wouldn't be able to stop them. The jaws of Oblivion had swallowed the realm whole. There wasn't anything that he could possibly do to prevent the devastation and fire that would consume Tamriel.

Fire. Flames filled his vision, bright brilliant flames issuing forth from the Dragon's mouth. Suddenly he knew what he had to do, what only he could do.

As he opened his eyes while slipping off the Ring of Khajiit. It's magics would do him no good anymore. He noticed Lilia staring at him, her grey eyes locked on his own. Trying to marshal his emotions he looked closely at her, studying the squareness of her jaw, the slightly flat nose, the sweet and tender mouth. He wanted to remember her exactly as she was, to take the memory of this wonderful woman with him as he went to fulfill his destiny.

"I know now what I was born to do." Martin whispered at her, afraid to speak too loudly lest his voice break. There was no other option; it did have to end. She'd done such a good job of keeping him alive but now the Gods had spoken to him and revealed their plans. It was the only hope he had of saving the realm, of saving Tamriel, of saving her.

"So do I." She whispered back as she stepped towards him while tugging off her gauntlets. Her cool hands caressed his cheek and stroked his hair as she kissed him. It was so moist. He wasn't sure if the dampness on his face was from her tears or his own. He felt his resolve threatening to break. The knowledge that it could never be was bitter to him. As she nuzzled her face against him he grabbed her and held her tight. If only they'd had more time.

At least she would. Perhaps in time she would find love again. With a ragged sigh he relaxed his hug and brought his hands up to her shoulders, intending to break away from the only thing that he knew might be able to make him change his mind should he tarry too long. But she didn't let go and instead held him tighter to her as his magicka once more fell silent.

And after her fangs broke the skin of his neck he felt tears of sadness and joy freely roll down his face as he finally came to understand just how much he was loved.


	106. Chapter 106: Dragon's Fire

Cloud Ruler Temple. Fathis told her she was trapped on the floor of Cloud Ruler Temple. Lilia kept her eyes closed and took a mental inventory of her body. It felt fine, the only soreness the feel of the unyielding metal pressing into her body as she lay prone on the hard wooden floor. As for her mind...

It was hers again. No longer was that faint noise of madness, the hint of insanity, present in her thoughts. It had been simple enough to master while awake, but when she slept, when her conscious mind had relaxed, it had been finding ways to creep out. But now it's unwelcome presence was finally gone and only Lilia remained.

"Who are you?" Martin asked her again with a frown. She could see him as she felt herself being magically pressed to the ground. He knew what to ask and how to deal with her.

"Silenced and trapped, how oddly familiar." She murmured with a smile, glad that he had the sense to heed her warnings about what could happen should she lose hold of herself. "Sorry to disappoint but you can let me up. I'm Lilia."

The invisible weight dispersed and she felt her magicka coming back to her. Being silenced was not something she appreciated. As Martin walked over to her she couldn't resist smiling up at him. Thanks to him she was free from the curse, no longer any sort of Daedric Prince at all.

" I'm Lilia. I'm only Lilia now. It worked. The curse is gone." She was telling him as he pulled her up. It didn't seem to be registering though. Martin was staring at her with a very strange expression. As she felt him pull off her helmet she briefly wondered if he'd somehow gone mad as a result of the ritual. The thought dissipated as he pulled her in and kissed her.

Her instinct to stop him, prevent him from doing this, caused her to squirm away. But only for a moment. There was only so much temptation she could resist, and she'd always had a rather low threshold. Lilia gave in and kissed him back. Not very well though; the happiness that overwhelmed her was causing the most idiotic grin she'd ever felt on her lips.

Fathis' strange comment about climbing walls made Martin laugh and she pulled away to better look at him. It was odd. He looked the same as he always did, but something was different about him and it wasn't just the robes he was wearing over his armour or the amulet around his neck. She realized that everything seemed somehow...off.

She sent her mind out to the reaches of Aetherius and the knowledge that came back to her horrified her. They were out of time. The Firmament had been fundamentally changed.

"Something's wrong with Aetherius." She whispered, not wanting to say the words out loud. "We're out of time."

"What do you mean out of time?" Jauffre asked from his position near the wall.

"The Dragonfires must be relit at once. Dagon plans to invade Nirn. As long as they are dark the realm is vulnerable." Noting that she was missing her cuirass she spotted it on the floor next to her helmet. Gathering them up she began calling out orders. "Get the horses ready for we ride at once. Janus, go inform Raminus of what's happened and have him teleport back to the Arcane University. Then rally the forces and bring them to the Imperial City."

"Where are you going?" Count Hassildor asked.

"White Gold Tower. There isn't a moment to lose." Lilia grabbed Martin's hand and started pulling him towards the door of the great hall. "Fathis, Wulfgar, I want you with us. Come on!"

"Should I change into my armour?" Martin inquired as he tugged back. Lilia yanked him forward in response.

"No! We have no time!" She was trying hard not to panic. Something was very wrong with Nirn. If it was bothering her so much she couldn't begin to imagine how the Psijics of Arteum were feeling. Martin seemed to be moving in slow motion. With an exasperated grunt Lilia reached into her pack and fished out the pouch that held the Ring of Khajiit. Shoving it at him she ordered him to put it on.

To her surprise the horses were already prepared. Jauffre explained that he'd ordered them readied for Lilia's eventual return. He'd also sent Baurus down to prepare Ocato for Martin's eventual arrival. It was a nice surprise to find the Breton had warmed to her and was acting in a fashion she felt more befitting his station, though she still didn't like him at all. She was shocked to find that he'd even ordered extra horses for Cloud Ruler Temple. While they weren't as good as the ones she'd purchased at Cheydinhal they were serviceable and sturdy. She felt a bit bad for Wulfgar's steed; the warrior was not a light load.

But there was nothing to be done for it now. With a grim nod at Count Hassildor they were off, racing through the chill damp night towards the spire of White Gold Tower. Lilia could see it, it's faint glow etched against the inky blackness of the misty air. She remembered how the Gods had kept turning her back to it, refusing to allow her to travel towards High Rock and a cure.

As they raced down the Silver road, past Bruma, past the friends and allies and loyal defenders of the Emperor, she struggled to make sense of her fear. It was overwhelming her, threatening to make her hands shake as she gripped the bridle. As it was she and Martin kept pulling ahead of the others and had to slow down and fall back to the small band of forces that accompanied them. Much as she wanted to race off with Martin, leaving the others behind, Lilia couldn't do it. Whatever was driving her on, whatever it was she would meet in the Imperial City, she didn't want to do it alone.

Curiosity and hope refused to be subjugated by fear and she pulled her pack in front of her while waiting for Jauffre, Fathis, and Wulfgar to catch up. Rummaging through it she felt the small glass vial bounce off the back of her gauntlets, the metal clinking against the cure. But she couldn't grab it no matter how hard she tried. The knowledge did nothing to ease the panic that ate away at her reserve. The Gods weren't done with her yet. There was still a reason that she was a vampire and apparently it had nothing to do with Mankar Camoran's choice of combat magics.

It had been a foolish hope that the reason the Nine had turned her into a vampire was so that she wouldn't be subject to his paralyzation spell. Thinking about it she realized that they'd have no more success in predicting his actions than Sithis had in predicting hers. As his soul had belonged to Dagon rather than the Aedra they couldn't see into his mind.

Worry pressed down upon her and she waited impatiently. Satisfied that the others were close enough for her tastes she once again spurred on her horse while her mind reached out to the corners of the world. What was coming? What could she do to stop it? And why would she need to be a vampire to do so?

The trip to the Imperial City felt as though it took days. Though Lilia knew that they'd made excellent time it still felt as though it had been too long, as if they were too late. Too late for what she still had no idea and she didn't want to find out. Slipping off of her horse she ran over to where Martin was trying to get off of his own in a dignified fashion. Refusing to waste time for such nonsense she half-dragged half-aided the surprised man down to the ground. Yanking on his hand they began running through the streets after she ordered him to cast an invisibility spell.

Paranoid of every shadow, waiting for unseen enemies to pounce, they'd made their way through the silent streets. The citizens were asleep. It was so late even the residents of the Waterfront would surely be abed. Looking up to the sky above she frowned to note that a thin layer of cloud hid the stars; if she could ever use the comfort of their sight it was now.

Baurus was waiting for them in front of the Palace. With the quickest polite greetings she could manage she alternately pulled and shoved Martin into the Council Chambers. Whatever it was that needed to happen had to be done quickly. Even though they'd made it and were secure behind the walls of White Gold Tower she couldn't get the panic to lessen. Trying to relax her mind, letting it stretch out, she found herself suddenly interrupted for Martin's request that she present him.

"I present to you Martin Septim heir to the Imperial Throne bearer of the Amulet of Kings." She spat out. When Ocato failed to react, instead choosing to stare at her, she snapped. "Get on with it!"

"Martin Septim, on behalf of the Elder Council, I accept your claim to the Imperial Throne. We should arrange the coronation ceremony as soon as..." There was no magical change that she could detect in Martin. Lilia still didn't know why he needed this to happen before they could go to the Temple of the One. But he'd been insistent that Jauffre had told him it was part of the ritual, along with the need to wear his ceremonial robes. At least he'd remembered to put his chainmail on underneath. She'd felt that when he'd held her.

The sweet remembrance died before it could even blossom, tamped down by the crushing wave of distress that pressed down on her. It was so wrong, so unnatural. It felt as though not just an Oblivion gate, but Oblivion itself had opened into Nirn. The words of the messenger confirmed her fears and she froze, unable to process the idea, unaware that she was vocalizing her rejection of it. How could this be? Why now, after all that effort to prevent it?

"Come, we must hurry." The newly created Emperor grabbed her hand and she realized that there might still be a chance. There had to be a chance. She couldn't give up the hope that somehow he'd be able to fix this.

"Let the guard handle the daedra. Put on the ring and let's go." They couldn't afford to spend any time fighting the daedra off. The guard would have to deal with Dagon's forces. The knowledge that she was relying on the hand picked forces of Adamus Phillida and his successor Giovanni Civello did nothing to tame her fright.

Stepping outside she refused to stop and stare at the sudden change. The sky was filled with the red clouds of Oblivion and she could smell the stench of Mehrunes Dagon's realm on the air. It was something that she'd never before scented on Nirn and its presence disturbed her. The Firmament had cracked.

Bolting towards the Temple district she pulled Martin along after her. Even with the Ring of Khajiit he was still slower than her and she wondered if she'd be able to carry him instead. The idea was cut off when she beheld the mass of daedra in front of the gate. The numbers would surely overwhelm the handful of Palace guards defending against them.

Fathis walked by her and Lilia blinked in surprise. She wasn't noticing as much as normal. Between the terror, the cacophony of thoughts in her mind, and the continuous attempts to divine something from Aetherius, to discern some secret that would allow them to undo the damage to the world of Nirn, she wasn't listening to the conversations around her. As she watched the shimmering energy he began weaving around him she smiled; he was right, she was no match for a Telvanni. His mastery of the elemental forces extended far beyond his ability to create atronachs. The powerful lightning that crackled out from him, dancing among the daedra, was a sight to behold.

"I must learn how to do that." She whispered in awe. Noticing that the way was clear she began running towards the gate. The massive wooden doors had been knocked off their hinges and hung at awkward angles. Slipping between them the sight in front of her made her begin praying fervently to the Nine for more aid than the Dunmer could provide. Daedra were swarming the district, pouring out of the Oblivion gates that ringed the Temple of the One. Dagon obviously knew exactly where they would be headed.

Tall figures, clad in the crystalline grey armour of her nightmares, emerged from a nearby gate. She almost screamed at the sight; the thought of trying to fight the forces of both Dagon and Jyggalag was too much for her to handle. But as she watched the Knights of Order begin attacking the armies of the Daedric Prince of Destruction she began to smile.

"What are those?" Jauffre's question confirmed it. This wasn't just wishful delusions on her part.

"Knights of Order. By the Nine, Jyggalag is having his revenge!" Hope, the first real hope she'd felt since her return, briefly warmed her. Perhaps they still had a chance.

The Nine had sent her into the Shivering Isles. She'd initially believed that it had been so she had a daedric artifact to give Martin for his ritual, but that hadn't made much sense to her. The Daedra had several items on Nirn that could have been used and he'd not needed the physical manifestation of an entire realm. It had been a puzzle she'd pondered but now it suddenly made sense. Somehow the Nine had known that by releasing Jyggalag she'd enable him to return to his routine of conquest and assimilation. And he'd chosen to start with Dagon, the ringleader of the Princes that had cursed Jyggalag to millennia of insanity in the first place. And it had coincided with Dagon's invasion of Nirn.

Once more taking to her heels she ran on, hope spurring her as much as fear. If the Nine had orchestrated this, used her to allow Jyggalag an opportunity for vengeance, then there must still be a chance.

The hope was short-lived. Running around the curve of the massive ancient Temple she froze in her tracks and barely noticed Martin bounce in to her. Every synapse in her mind was trying to digest the sight of Mehrunes Dagon himself, the four-armed giant Daedric Prince of Destruction, standing here in the Temple district. It wasn't possible. It couldn't be possible.

And yet as he stomped off to the side, angered by the sudden appearance of Jyggalag's forces she understood that it wasn't madness, a dream, or anything else. It was reality.

"Any suggestions?" Baurus' quiet question snapped her back to the moment, out of the spell of horror that had frozen her to the spot. They had to get into the Temple and there was a large force of daedra in the way. Even invisible there would be no way to do it. Invisibility didn't make one non-corporeal.

Wulfgar's small nod at her caught her eye and she quickly nodded back at him, understanding his silent suggestion. Herding back the others she implored them to cover their ears. It had been a very long time but she still knew just how powerful the Thu'um could be. As Wulfgar used his Voice to shake the stones beneath the daedra's feet, stunning them with the strength of his old Nordic magic, she sent restoration magic into her intensely pained ears. As a vampire the experience was far worse than she remembered.

"Go. We'll keep them out." The Skaal warrior's words still sounded overly loud to her but she didn't wait. Between Ocato, Wulfgar, and Baurus they stood a good chance of keeping the daedra occupied until Martin was safely inside the protective magics of the Temple. Once more running she tried not to pull Martin off of his feet as they made their way to the solid wooden doors. Slamming her body into them as she turned the handle the doors burst in, the heavy thud of them smacking against the curved walls their only form of protest at the violent treatment.

Standing behind Martin, Lilia pressed him forward to the altar. Stepping to the side she urged him to do what needed to be done to relight the Dragonfires. It was the only thing she could think of; all of her scrying efforts had yielded nothing. Trying once more to focus her mind, trying to force out all other thoughts, she stared into the middle of the large round altar. A continuous prayer to the Nine, wordless yet fraught with emotion, ran silently through her subconscious. But there was no spark, only the chill of a silence spell.

As her feet left the ground suddenly it all made sense. The reason that he'd not sent any Blades to find Martin, the reason he'd sent her off to Kvatch and the coincidence of the invasion occurring that same day, the stealing of the amulet at a time when she was supposed to be at Weynon Priory with Martin, no doubt planning to make it look as if they'd died in the attack. Even the unmoving figures she'd seen in the Chapel at the Priory made sense. She'd sometimes wondered why the three hadn't attacked Jauffre, especially when they hadn't seemed to consider him much of a threat. The Breton was a traitor, an agent of Dagon.

And he was an attempted assassin. She could smell the poison as it interacted with Martin's flesh and she watched his purple form as it glimmered in her undead vision. The detect life ability her vampirism conferred was not something that could be turned off with magic. The smug smile on Jauffre's lips let her know that he didn't realize she'd taken so many steps to prevent the Emperor's death in case of an attack of this nature. If the ring of Linoril didn't work, if the mundane silver ring she'd taken from Raven Camoran's corpse wasn't as powerful as it was, then Martin would be dead by now.

But he wasn't. At least, so long as Jauffre didn't look back at him and realize that the chameleoned Emperor was still alive. She had to keep his attention on her. It was the only thing that she could do as she was magically pressed back against the wall.

"Traitor! Betrayer! Fool!" She yelled at him, willing him to keep his eyes on her.

As he taunted her, spouting Dagon's lies, she was gratified to see Martin begin moving. The poison that Jauffre described was incredibly powerful and lethal. Not only did it paralyze and silence the victim, but it also crippled their magicka and ate away at their flesh with intense magical frost damage. Goading Jauffre on, trying to irritate him and keep him talking, Lilia watched as Martin slowly begin moving around on the floor.

Though Jauffre's talk of her family and their deaths focused her attention and hatred back on him. It also shocked her; the coincidence was just too much. Her father had suspected the traitor all those years ago, and yet he'd been painted as a betrayer and had died at the hands of an assassin that Jauffre had arranged. And in her grief she'd made her bargain with the Divines and hunted down those very assassins, crippling their organization so that people like Jauffre would never be able to use them in future. As he described the Speaker who had visited him she realized just who it had to have been. From the talk she'd heard at that strange dinner all those months ago she knew that only one Dunmer had been working in Cyrodiil as a Speaker all those years ago.

"Banus Alor." Saying the name she was gratified to once again see Jauffre's pale blue eyes focus on her. It had looked as though he'd been about to turn around and she couldn't let him do that. Not with Martin slowly making his way back up to a standing position. Thank the Nine he wasn't wearing his akaviri armour. With the muffling heavy velvets of his robe and the soft leather shoes on his feet he wasn't making much sound at all.

Jauffre resumed his taunts and soon reverted to the same threats that Lilia was getting used to hearing. The amount of times she'd been warned to just wait until the master, or leader, or bandit lord, or giant squib came to get her…

He was running through her list of titles now and she was starting to worry that he'd grow bored of her. Giving him the biggest, fakest smile she could muster she started talking, trying to make enough noise to cover Martin's stealthy approach. Not only had she shown him how to stand to absorb attacks during their training session but she had also taught him how to control his steps to move quietly.

"You left out a few titles. Novice of Arteum..."

"You're silenced. Psijic or not you have no hope." Jauffre spoke over her and she kept smiling. Martin was getting so close to him now.

"...Servant of the Nine..."

"The Aedra? Your Gods are going to be struck down by Dagon's might!" Jauffre was shouting at her now and she started smiling sincerely. Martin was right behind him, dagger held in the proper position, all of the right muscles tensed to strike.

"...and Silencer of the Black Hand." As she spoke Martin lunged, his dagger sliding up into the Grandmaster's skull. As she watched the purple glow inside Jauffre quickly extinguish itself she walked over to Martin and continued speaking, unable to stop herself.

"And you're very much mistaken; I'm not alone."

"Silencer of the Black Hand?" Martin asked her as she grabbed him and began casting what she could to undo the poison and the silence effect it caused. Lilia didn't bother answering as she listened to the shouts and sounds coming from outside the thick walls of the Temple. The brief pleasure she'd felt as she'd watched Martin murder Jauffre dissolved. While she wasn't alone she still didn't know just how this could be saved. Convinced that Martin was patched up well enough she turned him around and pushed him towards the altar.

"Finish it." The fear was back and she implored the Nine to let this work. As Martin tried and failed to relight the Dragonfires her hands started shaking. This couldn't be the way it ended. Mehrunes Dagon couldn't possibly be allowed to conquer Tamriel.

"Try again." She hissed at him and as he once more attempted the ritual it became apparent that no matter how hard he tried it wouldn't work.

"It's not working. It's not working." Lilia muttered absently to herself as she stretched her mind out as far as she could, waiting for some piece of knowledge to come to her from Aetherius. She also waited for some sort of Divine pressure. She couldn't believe that the Gods were suddenly being remarkably silent.

The barest whisper, the faintest glimpse of images not meant for her eyes, came to her mind and suddenly she realized that while the Gods weren't communicating with her they were speaking to someone else. Looking over at Martin she saw him remove the Ring of Khajiit and once more become visible. They way he was looking at her made her want to scream. She'd seen that expression once before in her life and it was something she'd never wanted to ever see again. Vicente had looked at her like that as he'd held her hand around her silver dagger.

"I know now what I was born to do." His whispered words, so fraught with unspoken emotion, wounded her to the core. The situation was too much for her to take. Briefly anger and hatred of the Gods ran through her. After all the things they'd put her through, all the things she'd done in their name, they were once more going to make her watch someone die in front of her eyes. Lilia refused to accept it. She refused to believe that they'd spent so many years training her, guiding her, and moving her about just so she could bear immortal witness to the deaths of two Emperors.

But what could she do to stop it? She'd been pushed to join the Guilds and the Arena, but those warriors weren't here to aid them. The trip to the Shivering Isles had freed Jyggalag and provided her with a daedric artifact. She could understand why she'd been instructed to go there. But she wasn't the Madgod anymore. Any special powers or abilities she may have had were gone, destroyed as the required blood of a Daedric Prince.

The Nine had made her a vampire, they'd kept her a vampire. She was faster, stronger, tougher than she'd be as a mortal. But she knew that she couldn't hope to defeat Dagon and drive off his armies, vampire or not. The reason the Gods had turned her was still unclear. She was immortal, but time was something she had none of. And she couldn't possibly imagine what her enhanced senses could do, except find the taste of blood even more repulsive than normal.

Blood. The word brought forth so many associations in her mind. She had the blood of the ten races in her and yet it didn't flow; the blood of Molag Bal interfered with that. Martin had the Divine blood of kings in him, the Dragon's blood. It allowed him to wear the Amulet of Kings, the physical representation of the blood of the Aedra on Nirn.

"So do I." Sudden understanding came to her. The Gods had always had a plan for her but it was up to her to implement it. There was always a choice, even when there appeared to be no choice at all. As she prepared herself to be separated from Martin she pulled off her gauntlets, wanting to touch him, see him, and taste him one last time.

As she kissed him she couldn't prevent the tears from falling. If only things had gone differently. So many little things could have changed the situation: Uriel could have fought against his fate, Lilia could have been home in time for dinner with her family, Martin could have come straight to the Temple with the Amulet. But none of those things had happened and now the man she loved was holding her, the man she needed to say goodbye to.

As his embrace slackened she knew that she had to act now. There was no more time. The needs of the Empire, of the inhabitants of Tamriel, of her friends, of Martin were all greater than her own. She would miss it all so much. The silence spell she'd been preparing sank into him.

Biting him she drank as quickly as she could, gratified that he wasn't trying to pull away. His blood was a physical presence within her, the magical fire and explosive sparks growing stronger and stronger until she knew it was enough to do what needed to be done. As she stepped back her hands tugged the Amulet over his head. Her heart broke as she took one final look at him before turning away; she couldn't let him stop her this time.

Running now as she put on the Amulet of Kings Lilia didn't dare look back. Instead she faced forward, watching as the wall crumbled away before her, revealing Mehrunes Dagon himself. Jumping onto the altar she prayed to the Nine, imploring them to use her one final time, to grant her the fate that she chose to embrace as her own.

The familiar feeling of losing control of herself once more caused her to understand that her prayers were being answered. Everything faded from her eyes as light began glowing out around her. The light became fire, the fire of Akatosh, God of Time. It felt nothing like Stendarr; she felt as though she was being both compressed and expanded with knowledge, the infinite nature of time destroying her, engulfing her in it's paradox and mysteries. The power of the Divine was sweeping her away from Tamriel, from Nirn, from life. This time she chose not to fight it and instead let herself go with it, pulled along as the jaws of Oblivion were closed shut for eternity.

* * *

Looking up at the stars above her she smiled. The gentle light they provided warmed her and soothed her. Floating up towards them Lilia found her heart feeling light and content. There was no fear or pain or sadness anymore. Such words were meaningless in the face of the knowledge and love of the Divines.

And there were no obligations. She was free, weightless and drifting towards the ecstasy of Aetherius. Her servitude had been ended; she'd fulfilled her vows.

As she drifted along she suddenly understood everything. The Nine had always had a plan for her and every mortal on Nirn. They'd known that Dagon would always be a threat so long as the Dragonfires were necessary. And so They'd planned, so many subtle plans, not just for her and Martin but for everyone. But it had been up to the mortals to choose to enact them, to do the work of the Aedra on Nirn, to allow them to finally put an end to the threat of the forces of Oblivion.

The glow of love she felt brought with it further knowledge. Vicente had been right; she had always been loved. Loved by the Gods themselves, loved by her family and the ancestors who had gone before her to Aetherius, and loved by him. The Nine had brought her to meet him, to use her to release him from his immortal prison. She just hadn't been told that it was a part of their plan for her. All of those prayers she'd said had been welcome but pointless. He'd always been in Aetherius.

The bliss she felt was more than she'd ever experienced. It was time to finally go home, to take her place among her loved ones. There was no longer any need for time; eternity stretched before her and it was good. One day Martin would join them, as would all the others she cared for. But there was no need to wait. How could she possibly need patience when there was nothing but time?

The heat from the stars faded and Lilia felt her body growing cool. As it became cold, so cold, she realized that she was no longer being gently raised up. The stars became smaller. Aetherius moving further away from her as she was pulled down. And as she felt the fire begin to burn her from the inside, it's heat doing nothing to warm her freezing body, all of the painful emotions came back to her. Fear, anger, and sadness pushed out the happiness, love, and calm she'd experienced.

Trying to scream she found that her world had become nothing but fire and blood.


	107. Chapter 107: Afterglow

Cold. Everything was so cold. It surrounded her, enveloped her, but it wasn't cold enough to quell the fire inside.

The painful heat and searing shocks within warred with the chill that coated her, a fierce battle in which both sides struggled for dominance. The ache was incredible.

Her senses brought her distant information, trudging through armies fighting to overwhelm her with ice and heat. The cries and screams in her ears sounded distant and tinny. The suffering of others couldn't break through her own.

And there was blood, everywhere was blood. She was drowning in it, bathing in it, drinking it in yet unable to satisfy her need for more. The desperation to feed felt like a force trying to claw its way out from the inside, past the ice, past the fire, even further down within her.

The more she drank the worse it felt, her body wracked with pain as miniature explosions tore through her. It was as if her flesh was trying to tear itself to pieces from the inside out and yet she couldn't stop. Except it felt as though she didn't have a body any more, no hands or feet or arms or legs. Just this strange prison, this memory of flesh.

Further reports from her outlying senses started to sink in. There were hands grabbing her, squeezing her tightly. And more sounds; the sounds of battle, sword ringing against sword, and the sounds of sorrow, of muffled sobs.

And there was a voice, so distant she could scarcely make out the words, but it was there.

"This is why you're a vampire." It made no sense to her. She wasn't a vampire anymore; she was dead. Torn to pieces by the consuming power of the Divines, and then torn from their tender mercy and cast down into Hell. All that was left was torment and agony. An eternity of damnation, unquenchable thirst, burning pain, and freezing cold.

"I will not lose you again." The voice sounded louder now and memories pressed against the agony of her mind. The words were familiar. Was this another form of torture? An eternity of forgetfulness, reminiscence, and longing?

"I need you." The sudden recognition hurt even worse than the physical pain. Martin. She was hearing Martin, the man she loved, the man she'd given her life for, the man who sounded so desperately unhappy. Oh, the demons of the Nine Hells were cruel. Clenching her hands into fists in anger Lilia suddenly realized that she had fingers to clench.

"Praise Akatosh!" The reverent whisper made her smile, and the gentle soothing of powerful restoration magic made her sigh. The blood that flowed down into her lungs as a result made her cough in choking reflex, pain wracking her entire body as she convulsed. Everything still hurt so much.

But her senses were stronger, bring back messages and images. Brown hair and white fur was all she could see as she struggled to open her eyelids. And she could feel the cold, rough stone, pressing against her back, the soft touch of velvet against her stomach. Two frigid spots pressed against her and she wondered what they were, too weak to move her head and look.

"For a moment there I thought I lost you." Blue eyes, the most beautiful blue eyes she'd ever seen, appeared in her vision. Martin was a mess. His face and clothes were smeared with black soot, there was blood on his neck and collar, and red stained tears on one side of his face. But the sight of him was the most gorgeous image she could ever hope to behold. Trying to reach up and touch his face she wasn't able to achieve anything other than flop her hand onto her belly.

As he kissed her she once more felt restoration spells course through her. And she tried hard to kiss him back even though all she wanted to do was smile and sing. Everything was Martin— all she could feel, taste, smell, hear, and see was him. And it was so incredibly wonderful.

"For a moment there you did." She whispered at him when he finally let her have the use of her mouth once more. As he pulled her torso off the ground and held her while he knelt on the floor beside her she suddenly became very aware that she could feel velvet and stone and the cool press of metal buttons against her skin.

"Speaking of lost, I seem to be missing my clothes."

* * *

As she'd fed on him he'd come to understand her plan. She was going to take his place, sacrifice herself to the Nine instead. It had happened so quickly. She'd bitten him, silenced him, and run off while dropping her sword and her pack. He'd had no opportunity to stop her. 

And watching as the intense light had consumed her, a column of Divine love and fury that shot out from the altar and up through the opening in the Temple roof, had been the most wrenching sight he'd ever seen.

That is until the might of Akatosh had subsided and he'd seen her black body lying unmoving on the altar. Tears had clouded his vision and anger had made it impossible to focus, but regardless he'd seen no purple glow coming from the lifeless form of the woman he loved, and who'd loved him.

Kneeling beside her his mind had tried hard to digest the concept that she was gone, her soul no longer here on Nirn any more than her armour or clothes. Everything had been consumed by the power of the Nine. Except for her body, the beautiful body that was coated with the blackest of ashes, the husk of the incredible woman that had loved him so much she'd given her life for him.

Rolling her onto her back he gently stroked her hair off her face. The memory of how delighted she'd been when he'd figured out where the colour came from wrenched him apart. There were so many things that he'd miss. The knowledge that this time she wasn't coming back threatened his sanity. Even though she'd essentially saved the world he felt that the cost had been too high. If only he'd reacted quicker. If only it had been him instead.

He was the Emperor, the Dragon's blood flowed through his veins. For all the talk of being the Dragon born he'd failed her, allowed her to die in his place.

Dragon born. Caroline had called her that once. And yet she wasn't really a Dragon born, merely born in the wrong place at the wrong time, as the skies above Dusk had burned with a magical fire. And she'd stolen his Dragon's blood so that she could die for him, consumed in the Dragon's fire of the Divines.

He had no love for the Divines at the moment. They'd used her, led her into darkness, pain, suffering, and death. They'd made her insane and evil and yet they'd never managed to destroy her. Even when they'd forced her to vampirism she'd kept on, struggling to do their work on Nirn, to be good despite the bad they forced her to do. And it had all been for this, so that he could mourn the loss of his beloved undead steward.

Grabbing her near hand he pressed it to his lips, feeling the cold flesh beneath the ashes. It was so much more painful because there was no change in her; her skin was still the same temperature as it had always been. Only now she was covered in ash, and he knew how much she'd hated that.

Brushing the ash from her hand, determined to clean her off, he noticed that the only ring remaining on her fingers was the cheap copper band she'd enchanted to hide her condition away.

The sudden understanding struck him like a physical force. Grabbing her in his arms he pressed the still bleeding puncture marks to her lips as he leant over her.

"This is why you're a vampire." He whispered to her while sending the strongest healing spell he could manage into her lifeless form. She was a vampire; there would be no body if she were dead. The Nine had left her mortal form, the band that prevented her detection by mortals, and yet had taken everything else. Hope flared through him as he pressed her face against his neck.

"I will not lose you again." Had he waited too long? Would it be enough to bring her back?

"I need you." He couldn't do this without her. The idea of trying to carry on without her beside him yielded nothing but bleakness. She had his heart and wherever she was it would remain. If she died then he knew it would die with her.

The faint movement he felt stunned him. It had worked.

"Praise Akatosh!" He murmured before pulling away. She'd coughed.

"For a moment there I thought I lost you." He smiled down at her as he spoke, so glad to see her grey eyes once more. She looked so odd and yet so indescribably beautiful as she smiled faintly up at him. She was a mess. Black soot and blood stained her dusky skin. And yet he wouldn't change a thing about her. Unable to resist he kissed her, pulling her up towards him, cradling her in his arms.

"For a moment there you did." She whispered at him when he finally let her have the use of her mouth once more. "Speaking of lost, I seem to be missing my clothes."

He couldn't help chuckling. He couldn't believe it had worked. This incredible woman was here in his arms, making him laugh once more.

"Oh, a new scar. Where did I get that?" She whispered absently, her hand gently stroking her soot covered stomach. He shook with suppressed laughter; it was just like her to be so light-hearted after being brought back from the dead.

"You came back." He whispered to her as he held her tight.

"I always do." She replied faintly and he felt her feebly trying to hug him back. Lilia seemed so weak right now and he quickly sent another powerful healing spell into her.

"How do you feel?" He asked with concern.

"How do you think? I've been destroyed by the power of a Divine, wrenched from the bliss of Aetherius, and my ass is freezing against this granite floor." Martin couldn't resist kissing the lips that delivered the words that never failed to surprise him. Pulling away he grimaced; her mouth still held the lingering flavour of his blood.

"I taste awful." He said and was glad to hear her chuckle softly in response.

"You have no idea. Now can you get my pack? I need something to wear."

Just as he was about to comment that as far as he was concerned she was wearing as much as he thought necessary a loud roar tore through the room and froze him in place. Dagon was still out there; it hadn't worked. Lilia's sacrifice had been in vain.

"Shh. It's okay." She soothed him and he wondered if she'd gone mad. The Daedric Prince of Destruction roaming through Tamriel was not okay. "Get my pack and get me dressed. And hurry, I want to watch this."

"Watch what?" He asked as he floated her bag over to her. Lifting her arm so she could reach in he absently watched as she pulled out her familiar green robe.

"The expression on Dagon's face when he realizes that he's mortal. The barriers between the worlds are impenetrable; no longer can daedra cross them. He's trapped here on Nirn, and his power is gone. The gates are destroyed and so there is no way back." Lilia answered him as he tugged the robe over her head and down her filthy body.

An enormous cry of anger tore through the air and he noticed Lilia smile that wicked smile of hers. Arranging her so she was leaning back against his chest he felt her press into him.

"Can you help me raise my arms? I can't gesture at him on my own." She requested and he laughed again. Lilia had formed her hands into her favourite obscene position and Martin brought them up and waved them at Dagon for her. He doubted the Daedric Prince noticed; the demon was too busy being attacked on all sides by arrows and spells. The remainder of the wall blocked the view of the mortals surrounding him, but Martin and Lilia had a perfect vista to watch as lightning, fire, frost, and shafts of metal struck into him again and again.

"Why did you do it?" He asked as one of Dagon's hands came up to his face; the giant's eye had exploded due to a well-aimed shock spell.

"Because I'm too weak to fire a bow and my magicka hasn't recharged yet." She answered, her voice extra happy as she beheld the image of Dagon's leg on fire.

"That's not what I meant. Why did you bite me?" Martin murmured while trying not to laugh. Dagon was now clutching one of his feet. It looked as though two of the toes had been cut off.

"Well, I'd already lied, stolen, and killed for you. I figured dying for you would round out the set." She answered lightly as her fingers entwined in his. Martin closed his eyes and nuzzled against her. The depth of her love for him was staggering. He missed the sight of Dagon's tongue being frozen into a block of ice and then shattered with some well-aimed arrows. The mortal defenders were working in concert to destroy him now.

"I love you." He told her.

"I know." She answered back, a teasing note in her voice. In the background Dagon suddenly burst into flames.

"You know?" He asked, feigning surprise. The sizzling of Daedric Prince flesh as it dripped from Dagon's body didn't register. He was too intent on listening to Lilia. He loved her unusual way of speaking, the way any foreign word was pronounced with the proper accent. And occasionally regular words pronounced with the wrong one.

"You brought me back to life. And Wulfgar told me." She twisted her head up to look at him. "I love you."

"I know." He teased her. Looking into her gorgeous grey eyes he didn't notice as Dagon slowly melted into a puddle of daedric goo outside.

"You know?" She couldn't help giggling as she asked.

"You died for me. And Baurus told me," he replied as he held her tight. "Don't you dare try anything like that again."

"I won't." She squeezed his hands softly and he noticed a blue glow suffuse her body. She was trying to heal herself now. He sent another restoration spell into her to help.

"Emperor Martin! Emperor Martin!" The High Chancellor ran into the Temple and Martin looked over at the Altmer. His formerly smooth hair was now askew and he had blood on his robes. The sight worried him until he noticed Wulfgar and Baurus walk in behind the mer. They both looked exhausted but in one piece.

"What happened to Jauffre?" Baurus' sorrowful question shocked Martin until he realized that the Blade didn't know of the Breton's treachery.

"Assassin." Lilia said, her voice suddenly very firm. Noticing the way Baurus was looking at him for confirmation of her words Martin nodded gently. A deep frown appeared on the Redguard's face as he contemplated the dead body on the floor of the temple.

"Is it over?" Ocato asked. "Is it really over?"

"Yes, thanks to Lilia." He felt her squirm at his words and couldn't help grinning. He knew how much it bothered her to be hailed as a hero, but that was exactly what he thought of her.

"No, it was thanks to the Divines. I was just the conduit," she murmured, protesting less than he'd expected.

"What are your orders, sire?" Ocato's question made him uncomfortable. He had no idea what came next. This was all so new to him. He'd never expected to be sitting on the floor of the ruined Temple of the One, holding the undead woman he loved while being asked to give orders as the Emperor of Tamriel.

"If I may make some suggestions," Lilia offered and he indicated for her to continue. "Get the mages who can cast a detect life spell to scour the city checking any rubble piles looking for trapped citizens. Get the guard to start gathering up the corpses of the daedra. Raminus could help incinerate them." She paused to draw in a breath and Martin healed her again. He was sure that coming back from the dead probably wasn't pleasant. "Make sure every last piece of Dagon is destroyed. And have some men collect the names of the dead and the names of those who fought against his armies."

"Names?" Ocato asked.

"Names. For a memorial in honour of the dead, and for the reward ceremony Martin will hold to honour those who fought for Tamriel." She answered and Martin smiled at the way she kept thinking of others. She really was a good person for a former assassin.

"Your steward has some wise suggestions. Would you like me to implement them?" Ocato inquired.

"She's not my steward." Martin answered and felt Lilia try to twist around to see his face. She was obviously surprised by his answer. Looking down at her he couldn't help grinning as he continued. "She's the future Empress."

"Empress?" She whispered up at him, a note of vulnerability clear in her voice. His heart swelled with love at this remarkable, powerful woman who was so fragile as she placed her trust in him.

"I did not go through all of that just to let you get away. You belong here with me and that's where you'll stay." As he leant in to smother any further questions or comments she may have with a kiss he noted that she was wearing that ridiculous goofy grins of hers again.

"So is that a yes?" Ocato asked and Lilia started giggling. She was a terrible kisser when she was in such a good mood. She just couldn't seem to control her lips.

"Yes. Please do so right away." As the Altmer nodded and turned to go Martin called out to him. "And make sure that my room in the Palace has a soft bed and a warm bath. And some food. A lot of food." He was starving. Now that he thought about it, he realized he hadn't eaten much of anything since lunch two days ago — before the Battle of Bruma, before Lilia's trip to Paradise, and before the journey to the Imperial City.

"Not even Emperor for a day and you're already working on challenging Uriel IV for the title." Lilia teased him softly and he snickered. "We should probably get you to the Palace and show you to the citizens. Too bad about your clothes; you're a mess. And that was such a nice robe. Jauffre may have been a fetcher but he did try and dress you up pretty every time I left you alone with him, didn't he?"

"You'll have to curb that tongue of yours if you hope to pass as an Empress." He mock scolded her. Lilia made a derisive snort at his words.

"You've obviously not spent much time with nobility. They know curses that would make a soldier blush. You should hear what Narina can come up with when she wants to." Lilia finished her reply and nodded gently at the Dunmer who had entered the Temple. "You're alive. Why am I not surprised?"

"That's a very poor greeting for one Telvanni to give another. You can stop pretending you aren't one. I leave you alone for a moment and you've managed to secure the position of Empress." Fathis replied with one of those inscrutable grins of his and Lilia began laughing. It was a sound Martin was very much looking forward to hearing more of.

* * *

Surveying the wreckage of the room Martin chuckled to himself. He now understood exactly what Lilia had meant by messy. Between the smudges of soot on the walls, the randomly discarded articles of clothing, the puddles on the carpet, the slightly singed sheets, and the bit of jam that had somehow been stuck to the ceiling he didn't doubt that the maid would weep at the sight of the former splendour of the bedchambers of the Emperor in such a deplorable state. 

"Are there any of those chocolates left?" He asked the now clean vampire nestled against him. Well, relatively clean vampire.

"Not any intact ones. If you're desperate you could probably scrape some off the sofa." Lilia's answer made him chuckle again. He was sure they'd have to order an entire new suite of furnishings for his room in the Palace. Their room, he corrected himself. She continued on and he knew she was wearing one of her wicked grins again; he recognized the slight purr her voice took on as she teased him. "But you really should have something more substantial if you're still hungry. The mutton jerky would have been perfect."

"Yes, it would have. Too bad somebody knocked the bag into the fire with her foot." Martin could still smell the lingering scent of burnt spices in the air.

"It was all your fault for surprising me like that. Just where did you learn to do that, anyway?" She had rolled over and placed her arms on his chest, resting her chin on her folded hands. He laughed at the sight of her wicked grin, exotic eyes, and the raisin stuck to her forehead.

"What, did you never do that before?" He teased as he plucked the offending desiccated fruit from her cool skin. With a speed that still surprised him she snapped her head forward, her mouth enveloping the fingertips that held the raisin. As she slowly pulled back, her teeth softly raking against the sensitive skin while her tongue followed behind, he found himself releasing a deep breath he hadn't noticed he was holding in.

"Oh, I've done that before. I just didn't think _you_ could do it." Lilia replied lightly while chewing on the raisin, her grin somehow even more wicked. "You're rather flexible for a half Nortonperial."

"A what?" He asked with a laugh.

"Well, you've got Nord, Breton, and Imperial from Uriel's side. And you could have anything on the other side." She stuck her tongue out at him while answering. "Hmm, maybe you've got some Khajiiti lurking somewhere in your family tree. It would explain why you like mutton jerky so much."

"I think it's because you hid some under my pillow. Even after I finished it the bed still smelt savoury when I went to sleep." He retorted while idly tracing the curve of her pointed ear with his fingers. Her eyes closed in pleasure and he was surprised that she didn't purr; her expression reminded him so much of a contented kitten. It was remarkable just how much he loved all of the things that made her unique, including the strange way she thought about things. Especially the strange way she thought about things. "By the way, where did you hide the pickled kwama eggs? I found the teapot but I never managed to find those."

"Desk." Was all she was able to answer. He stopped teasing her ear for a moment and regarded her curiously.

"The desk? They weren't in the desk." As he spoke he felt Lilia slide her cool hands up his chest.

"Of course they weren't. There would be no room for your quills if they were." She shifted position, pulling herself up the bed so her face was now above his.

"They weren't on the desk either. So where did you hide them?"

"Under the desk." She replied as if that was the most obvious answer to a ridiculous question. Martin snuck a kiss before shaking his head at her.

"They weren't under the desk. The only thing under there was my footrest." For some reason his words caused her to collapse on top of him in giggles. Mastering her mirth she indolently draped herself on him and smiled at him with amusement.

"Your footrest? You mean the rolling footrest that suddenly showed up under your desk one day?" She managed to ask before starting to laugh again.

Grabbing her in a tight embrace he couldn't stop grinning as he rolled her over. It felt so good to finally have Lilia where he thought she belonged.

"How long do you think we can hide in here?" Martin inquired as he ran his finger over the new scar on her stomach. Lilia had explained that it had been caused by a strong reflect damage enchantment Mankar Camoran had in place. That sort of wicked magic was very difficult to heal. Though he wasn't surprised that she seemed rather pleased with it.

"We both know this can't last. I think it's time I finally ended it."

Regarding her suspiciously, Martin wasn't happy to note that she was no longer wearing that grin of hers. She looked very serious all of a sudden.

"Ended it? You are not leaving me again. I simply won't allow it." He replied, half in jest, half worried.

"But I must. You're an Emperor, I'm a vampire. Things cannot continue like this." Lilia stated while sitting up. As he silenced her before she could leave he noticed her give him one of her disdainful stares.

"You've already trapped me against the wall and from what you've told me you don't have the energy to even leave the bed. Now I'm not sure why you don't want me to get my pack with magic but I do need it." She said dryly.

"For what?" He demanded. She rolled her eyes and snorted.

"You suspicious creature. For what's inside it, of course. I'm not leaving the room; my robe isn't dry yet." Lilia's answer confused him and soothed him at the same time. Releasing her from the silence spell he watched as her pack floated over to rest beside her on the bed.

"Why do you insist on keeping that stained robe? I can't see why it's so important to you." He asked her as she rummaged around her bag. At one point he'd offered to toss it into the fire to join the mutton jerky but she'd silenced him, stolen it, tossed it into the bathtub, and then frozen the water solid while vehemently refusing to let him do so.

"Because you decorated it for me. It was the only token you ever gave me. Of course it means something to me." Her offhand reply wounded him as he realized she was right. He'd never given her anything whereas she'd shared her treasured possessions, brought him back powerful magical items, and even arranged to buy him a horse. It _had_ been paid for with his septims, but the thought behind it was what mattered.

The triumphant smile on her face as she turned around while gently shoving her pack off the bed fell as she stared at him.

"I'm sorry." His apology caused her to look at him curiously. She was studying him and appeared a little amused by what she saw.

"I can't begin to understand just how your mind works. What are you going on about now?"

"You did so much for me and I barely thanked you. I'm sorry."

Lilia laughed at his answer.

"I wouldn't call saving my life, freeing me from a daedric curse, and bringing me back from Aetherius as barely thanking me. Though if you still think you need do anything more for me you can hold me as I go. I'd like to come back while in your arms. It's a nice feeling."

"What are you talking about?" Martin had no idea what she meant by going and coming back without leaving the room.

"This, of course." Lilia held up the small blue vial and he suddenly understood. Gathering up the pillows that remained on the bed he arranged them against the headboard and propped himself up on them. She wiggled back and leant against him.

"Be right back." He ordered her sternly as she removed the stopper and tossed it to the floor.

"I always am." She answered quietly before draining the contents of the glass bottle. Her poorly aimed throw as her muscles twitched involuntary caused it to smash against the mantle, the pieces falling down onto the stone hearth with a noise that sounded like rain on a metal roof. Martin held her tight as her body relaxed, the muscles losing their strength as she slumped back against him until she was nothing but dead weight.

Refusing to let go he waited. As time passed by, an eternity by his reckoning, worry set in. Just as panic started creeping around the edges of his mind he suddenly shouted with surprise. The hands that pressed against her chest had felt something, something they'd never felt in her before.

A heartbeat.


	108. Chapter 108: An Auspicious Beginning

The last lingering heat of summer was still present, its heavy warmth settled over the Imperial City, making the revellers in the street even thirstier than normal. It was Harvest's End and the entire city was celebrating. The ale flowed free in the taverns tonight and even those who'd never grown so much as a weed in their lives were happily partaking in the festivities to mark summer's bounty.

The tiny flames of celebrants' torches far below looked like sparks dancing through the streets— mirrored by the night sky, the silver stars twinkling high above. Reaching up, Lilia cupped her hands under the brightest star in the Warrior, smiling as she imagined for a moment that she could somehow touch Aetherius.

Pulling her hands back down she thought of all the marks history had left upon them. The scar of the worm thrall, left by magics she would never understand, remained unchanged. It didn't bother her now. After all, she'd been present at the destruction of the King of Worms. There was no need to be ashamed to display it, even if it did make people nervous.

The small ring on her baby finger, while no longer necessary, was something she never wanted to take off. It was the only thing the Gods had left her though it hadn't escaped unscathed. No longer was it a shiny copper. It had been darkened to a burnished amber colour.

Nestled against it was her newest ring. Martin had ordered them made, two matching bands, out of daedric metal recovered from the bodies of Dagon's forces. A red diamond was set in the centre, flanked on either side by a small, faceted welkynd stone and a piece of sigil stone. The inscription was something she'd disliked at first, but had come to see the beauty in its irony.

_This heart is the heart of the world, for one was made to satisfy the other.  
_  
Seeing the words of Mankar Camoran on her wedding ring had upset her at first until Martin had reminded her that the Gods could turn anything to good. He felt that just as the Gods led them down parallel paths to the same shared fate, their lives shaped to satisfy the salvation of Nirn, so to did he feel that their hearts had been created for each other. Now whenever she thought of it she couldn't help smiling.

The large ametrine on her right hand no longer held it's powerful enchantment. It was quiet, as were all other daedric artifacts left on Nirn. So she happily wore the Ring of Khajiit on a daily basis, happy to remain visible as she did so. It was one of the few pleasing things she'd received during her brief stint as a relatively powerless Daedric Prince.

And the ebony and gold band was back, the jewel in the centre twinkling flashes of crimson at her in the moonlight. Martin had returned it to her claiming that it had fulfilled its purpose. It never hurt to gaze at it anymore. She still found it odd that any memories of her time with the Dark Brotherhood could possibly be happy, but such was the nature of the ones to come back to her whenever she looked at it.

With the breaking of the amulet, the Nine's physical token of their covenant with the descendants of Talos, the jaws of Oblivion had been sealed shut. No longer could daedra or mortals pass between realms. The daedric artifacts on Nirn had lost their power and the shrines had all gone quiet. Conjurers could no longer summon demons to do their bidding. Nirn was the sole province of the Aedra now. Tamriel ae Aedroth.

The sudden soft press of cold against the back of her neck made her gasp.

"Dead again, Empressling." She knew he was smiling. This new game was one that he greatly enjoyed.

"I'm the bloody Empress. And I thought we agreed. No more magic that could leave a mark when I'm in my nice clothes," Lilia replied, spinning around suddenly to grab the arm bearing the frost covered finger.

"It's just a little water." Martin smiled as he tugged the arm closer to his body, pulling her along with it. "What's the harm in that?"

"Just a little water? Have you forgotten that you ruined the suede trim on one of my dresses with just a little water? Or the time you froze a block of ice to the back of my yellow eodoric and then singed the fabric when you tried to heat it off? Or the time—" Her recital of his crimes against her clothing was cut off with a soft kiss.

"You're just mad that I keep surprising you," he teased her with a grin. Lilia noticed that he was holding the staff of Richaud behind his back and guessed that the Emperor was up to something again.

"And I keep telling you that it doesn't count. My senses aren't at all what they used to be. I know you just wait until I relax my detect life spell before pouncing. Are you trying to make me paranoid?" As she joked she smoothed back his hair. Even after having the entire summer together she still couldn't resist touching him whenever she got a chance.

"As if I could ever corrupt a trusting innocent such as yourself." He grinned mischievously, tracing the curve of her ear with his cool finger and she sighed. For some reason he couldn't leave her ears alone and she couldn't be happier about it. The Bosmeri blood in her made them delightfully sensitive. "Now turn around Empress. There's something I wanted to show you."

"Empress is merely my title. That's not who I really am." She replied lightly while admiring his enchanting blue eyes. "Try again."

"Sorry. Turn around Master Wizard." Martin answered and Lilia shook her head.

"I'm the retired Master Wizard. Try again."

Lilia had retired from the council while retaining her membership in the Mages Guild but not before helping Raminus make a final few changes.

Maranique and Jeanne had both been kicked out of the guild. The memory of the Imperial Battlemages' departure from White Gold Tower was one that Lilia would always treasure. Martinique had been furious, though she'd quieted down when Lilia had gently reminded her that refusing Martin's request to provide Battlemages for the defence of Bruma could easily be viewed as treason. Lilia was fairly sure the implied threat would be enough to keep Maranique out of her hair for good - the Breton may be a schemer but she wasn't a fool.

Even though she was no longer an active member of the council Lilia occasionally visited Raminus and Carahil as they worked to guide the motley assortment of guild mages. Sometimes Hanibal would also be there and council business often fell to the wayside as the mages shared their stories with one another. Lilia was still impressed by Carahil's tale of battling a powerful lich in the basement of a manor in Anvil.

She enjoyed visiting the Arcane University. The statue that commemorated the guild's victory over the King of Worms had been placed in the foyer and she always took a moment to admire it. Much to Lilia's pleasure it was a perfect replica of Hanarai. The small plaque beneath it had given most of the credit to the wild hare with the briefest mention of Lilia's involvement. She wouldn't have wanted it any other way.

The sudden failure of an entire branch of magical study had rendered conjurers suddenly bewildered as to what to do instead. Lilia was pleased to hear reports that Athragar and Erthor had quickly adapted. Both of them being Bosmers meant that they did have the command creature ability. She'd last heard that they were now trying to train various wildlife in domestic duties instead of scamps. Apparently trying to get a minotaur to wash dishes had led to quite a mess. Guildhall mistress Jend never hesitated to dispatch their failed experiments with a flourish. Unfortunately that flourish often necessitated the scrubbing of walls and ceilings and washing of clothes. Erthor's latest letter had mentioned that he and Athragar had become very skilled at removing stains and had offered Lilia a few tips that she could try on her ruined garments.

"Champion."

"Retired Champion." Lilia chuckled as she answered.

Erthor had also mentioned that it was becoming increasingly difficult to find woodland creatures to train. Modryn and Delphine's frequent hunting trips around Chorrol were decimating the population of the local fauna. She hoped they left enough alive for the end of the year. She'd already informed Martin that they would attend the Chorrol guildhall's Saturnalia feast should they be invited. Lilia simply refused to miss another one of the Bosmers' memorable dinner parties.

Since she'd never really done any of her duties as Champion in the first place it hadn't bothered Modryn much that she was retiring from active Fighters Guild work. The mer had come to visit a couple of times and still beamed whenever she called him Master. Lilia made sure to use his title whenever possible. She wanted to keep him as a friend and ally, especially now that he and Delphine were so close. The last thing she'd ever want to do would be to annoy either of them. The thought of their combined wrath frightened her more than the idea of going up against Dagon alone.

"Grand Champion."

"Undefeated retired Grand Champion."

She'd chosen to send a letter rather than go in person to inform Ysabel and Owyn that she would not be returning to the Arena. The fury of the battle matron was something she'd not wanted to face, even with allies.

Especially now that Synderius was rarely fighting anymore. Baurus had been rather impressed by the mer's ability to meet people and had recruited him into the Blades. Most of the summer the Dunmer had spent training in Cloud Ruler Temple, though last week he'd come down for a visit before his first assignment in Morrowind.

She and Martin had journeyed with the mer to visit Crowhaven and Lord Lovidicus. They'd spent a lovely weekend visiting with Agronak. The manor was shaping up quite nicely, though there was still quite a bit of work to be done. Martin had been very gracious when Synderius had proudly pointed out their magical handiwork in patching the roof. Lilia could tell by the way the Emperor's eyes had crinkled that he'd wanted to laugh at the strangely mended structure. The bedroom they'd been given had been a bit damp but Lilia had resisted her urge to help Agronak by magically drying the place for him. She still felt guilty about the way the kitchen wall had collapsed.

The town was also starting to flourish. The combination of ash that had drifted from the sky and the warm summer weather had yielded a bountiful crop and Agronak had done a very good job of arranging for the produce to be marketed and sold to the neighbouring cities. She was very proud of the noble and had been delighted when he'd confessed that he'd hired a dancing instructor to visit him weekly. Lilia had been very restrained in inviting him to the Palace for the necessary balls, dinners, and meetings that Martin's station required. She knew how busy he was and how much of a sacrifice he'd made to join them in Bruma, though she was sure she'd call on him to join them more frequently next year once he was more settled in.

"Pickpocket."

"Former Pickpocket."

Armand had finally relented to Lilia's wish to officially leave the Thieves Guild. Both of them had reached the consensus that it would do their respective associates more harm than good if she remained an active member. Methredhel had been understanding. The mer had been a great help in Bruma. She really was a skilled marksmer. And while she still refused to admit that Hieronymus might not be such a bad person she had behaved herself while in the city. Lilia had given her friend the key to her shack on the waterfront and Methredhel had told her that she was welcome to visit her at any time. Lilia was still debating on just when to sneak in and repay the Wood Elf for her mischief. She was currently trying to figure out just how many sheep she'd be able to paint on a pair of Methredhel's pants. But first she needed to get enough ink…

"Silencer of the Black Hand."

"Former Silencer of the defunct Black Hand." She'd shared her strange and disturbing tale of her life among the assassins with Martin. While she'd told him the truth she had tried very hard to keep her tone light as she did so. He'd actually laughed as she'd discussed her run in with Francois Motierre and the cursed zombies that plagued his family's niche of the undercroft in Chorrol. Though she'd glossed over the actual murders she'd committed while in the service of the Nine. It still wasn't something she enjoyed thinking about.

And so she hadn't been pleased to find it was something she'd thought more about as the month of Second Seed had worn on. As the anniversary of the purification had approached she'd been unable to push away the memories of the abandoned house in Cheydinhal that haunted her during quiet moments. There was something that she'd always wanted to do but had never had the time or felt strong enough to handle before. She still hadn't felt strong enough to do it but she knew someone else who was.

Janus had been rather surprised by her odd request. Thankfully he'd not made any wry comments about it. Lilia knew that he could read the way her body reacted while she'd asked for his aid and he obviously had been able to tell she hadn't made her request in jest. While he hadn't been happy to let her go Martin had understood why she'd needed to leave him for a day. With the amount of decisions to be made for the coronation and wedding she'd been sure that he'd stay busy while she'd gone off with Janus to Cheydinhal.

The wait outside the gates of the city while hiding invisible had seemed to take ages. When Count Hassildor had finally returned with the small bag and the old key she'd almost sworn he was a shade paler than when he'd left her. Though as he was a vampire she knew that wasn't possible. Janus had been very kind to her as he'd given her back the well key and the leather bag. To her surprise, he'd even given her a stiff hug. Lilia had appreciated it. He was possibly the only person on Nirn who truly understood what his actions meant to her.

The climb to Dive Rock had been a difficult one. So many memories, both bitter and sweet, had whirled through her mind. As she'd moved up the mountain she'd allowed herself to give in to them, to laugh, cry, and rage as she felt necessary. By the time she'd finally reached the plateau she'd been exhausted but much calmer. As she'd waited for the afternoon sun to sink down in the west she'd reflected on the irony that it was on the day of Drigh R'Zimb, the Yokudan festival to honour the ancient sun god Daibethe, that she'd experienced one of the darkest days of her life.

As the last rays of the sunset had bathed the land of Cyrodiil with a warm glow Lilia had released the ashes to the wind while letting her tears flow freely. She'd cried with joy at the knowledge that Vicente was enjoying the bliss of Aetherius, with sadness at the memory of the terrible way in which he'd left her, and with relief that she was still here to honour him. Lying on the cool rock she'd stared up at the stars above and spoken to him, to her parents, to everyone she'd cared for and who had gone before her to join the Divines. She'd told them her stories, shared her secrets, and confided her fears. The words had flowed from her lips as she'd said whatever it was she felt needed saying. By the time the sun rose once more in the east she finally felt at peace with the strange events that had happened in her life.

"Hero of Kvatch."

"That's an old title."

Nobody called her the Hero of Kvatch anymore, but it was something that she didn't mind hearing. Countess Goldwine had begun reconstruction of the city and some of the citizens were slowly moving back to it. While it might never return to its former glory, Lilia hoped that one day it would surpass it.

"Saviour of Bruma."

"That's a statue, that's not me."

Jorundr and Narina had commissioned a statue depicting Lilia's triumphant return from closing the great gate. Much to her delight the artist had taken several liberties, resulting in something that didn't look much like her at all. Not only did her armour suddenly match, but she'd also been placed in a victorious pose with her right hand holding a magnificent longsword up towards the sky. The lack of a helmet and the sudden addition of long flowing hair had confirmed her suspicions that whoever the craftsmer had been he'd obviously done no research whatsoever as to what had really happened. At least it hadn't accurately depicted her crumpled ridiculously armoured form lying on the ground. That probably wouldn't have made a very aesthetically pleasing monument.

They'd gone up to Bruma for the ceremony to honour those who had fought on behalf of the Empire during the Oblivion Crisis. Standing on the plateau once more, staring again at the assembled faces of those who had been able to join them, had been a very touching and humbling experience. Lilia had let Martin do most of the talking, though she had said a few words of thanks. Without their aid she doubted that Nirn would still belong to the Aedra.

Visiting Cloud Ruler Temple had been like stepping back in time. Even though it had been weeks since she'd last left it the way that nothing had seemingly changed surprised her. For some reason she'd expected it to have been altered, for a physical representation of the intense time they'd spent there to be present. But everything was the same, down to the small watermarks in the Emperor's bedroom that stained the wallpaper. The only change had been the addition of Jauffre's katana among the dozens ringing the great hall. The Breton's treachery was known only by Baurus. The last thing they needed to start their reign off was tales of the betrayal of the Emperor's trusted and loyal bodyguard. And so Jauffre's death was not mentioned to any other than the Blades. He was neither revered as a hero nor mourned as a martyr, but merely another casualty in the list of many.

Though his name had been left off the monument that had been unveiled in the Temple district. As many septims as could be poured at the rebuilding efforts had gone into repairing the buildings, replanting the trees, and restoring the Temple. Leaving a lingering wreckage in the midst of the Imperial City would not reflect well on the Emperor and so fixing it had been a priority. Especially as it had also been the planned site of the wedding and coronation, so neither Lilia nor Martin had wanted to wait any longer than necessary for it to be ready, especially as everything had been scheduled to coincide with the Mid Year celebrations.

"Champion of Cyrodiil."

"That's just a title. I still don't know why I couldn't be Champion of Tamriel. It was the entire realm that was saved, not just this one province." Lilia replied lightly while dodging a kiss.

This title was one that was still used and spoken of, though Empress was how she was officially presented. Being hailed as the Champion of Cyrodiil cost the Empire nothing, but helped increase the goodwill of the people. The political situation was still tenuous, the foundations of alliances and agreements set on the shifting sands of warring families and disgruntled nobles, but there was peace at the moment.

The fact that she had a little bit of each race helped a bit, as conniving leaders wondered if they could use that slight kinship to their advantage. The travels she'd done as a child also helped her acceptance. Every minor noble that her father had ever worked with most likely viewed having Lilia as an Empress to be to their benefit, the thin connection perhaps offering some form of leverage to exploit.

With Ocato in place as High Chancellor and Janus' frequent behind the scenes guidance she felt confident that the Empire would stabilize. Though it wasn't her place to dictate policy Lilia was using all of her wiles to try and promote her own small agendas. Hopefully one day she would see Orsinium recognized as an official kingdom and she would not cease in her subtle efforts to restore Leyawiin to the Mane. But there was time enough for all of that to happen and she was content to wait as she dropped the right hints and asked the right questions, convinced that one day the idea would be embraced, but seemingly not as her own.

The new inhabitant of White Gold Tower had proved to be a very clever idea of Martin's. When he'd asked Fathis to become the Imperial Battlemage, pointing out the mer's excellent training techniques, the fact that he understood the importance of heavy armour, and his remarkable skill, the Telvanni had merely responded with one of his inscrutable smiles. As they'd stood in the Elder Council chambers he'd listed the conditions in which he would accept the post. Most had been easy enough to grant, though one request had been rather odd.

The look on Ocato's face when he'd entered the room to find the bewildered Emperor, the Telvanni collapsed on the floor with laughter, and the Empress swearing softly at the slippery walls as she'd climbed up them, had been a memorable one. Fortunately the Altmer hadn't resigned his position on the spot. She suspected he was starting to get used to their unusual methods.

"Fine. Servant of the Nine, will you just turn around?" This time she was unable to dodge the kiss that punctuated his question.

"No. I'm no longer a servant of the Nine, merely a devoted follower." Her servitude had ended with her death. Just as she'd known she'd been bound to it she knew she'd been freed from it. Even the gifts the Nine had given her were gone, which suited Lilia just fine.

She certainly hadn't needed them to do a little housekeeping in the Imperial City. Hieronymus had been honoured to accept the offered post of Imperial Legion Commander. He'd more than proven his abilities to lead an army in Bruma and his intimate knowledge of the corrupt guards in the city was an asset. Slowly but surely they were being dismissed or demoted, with loyal soldiers being installed instead.

He'd even brought Carius down from Bruma to become a Captain of the Guard. And with his backing, Viera was now implementing her own standards on the guards of Bravil, secure in the knowledge that she had the blessings of her superiors in her work.

The move to the city was a good one for Carius as far as Lilia could tell. He'd stopped complaining about needing to shave all the time, and he'd joined the Arcane University. Currently he was trying to perfect a teleportation spell to make his frequent trips to Bravil easier. As far as she knew he and Viera were still getting along very well.

Almost as well as Hieronymus and Lyra. The independently wealthy lady had taken a small townhouse in the Elven Gardens district and was frequently seen in the company of Commander Lex. They'd both given very thoughtful gifts to Lilia and Martin in honour of their marriage and coronation. The painting of the Anvil coast, with the rather large bird in the sky, was hung in a place of prominence. Martin still didn't know why Lilia often snickered when walking by it. Lyra's gift of a bound copy of her epic poem _That Which Once Was Ceased To Be And Was Later Born From The Ashes_ was safely tucked away in a box out of sight for safekeeping.

They'd received a few unusual presents. The stuffed kagouti head, puncture mark still visible in the middle of the forehead, had caused Lilia several minutes of delighted laughter. There had been no card, but she knew exactly who had sent it. The iron battleaxe from King Gortwog had been very touching. Though the impractical yet highly magical glass warhammer enchanted with a powerful light spell from Gothryn, head of House Telvanni, as well as his note congratulating Lilia's rise to Empress and stating that she was an excellent example of their House had been a bit of a mystery. Though It hadn't taken too long to realize that Fathis must have told them that she was part Telvanni. The mer simply refused to be dissuaded of his notion. For all she knew she _was_ one so Lilia didn't protest too hard. She was not about to get into an argument with an entire House of powerful Dunmeri mages that seemed to want to embrace her as one of their own.

"Wicked vampire."

"Former vampire." She smiled up at him as she answered, sure that he'd recognize that particular grin.

The return to mortality had been welcome. Even though she no longer had enhanced senses, increased strength and speed, or any other of the benefits Lilia didn't mind that too much. She'd survived most of her life as a mortal, she was sure she'd be able to handle herself for the rest without fear.

"Former vampire? What about wicked?"

"Oh, I'm still wicked. Always have been, always will be."

Martin caught hold of the hand she was idly running down his torso as she replied.

"Lilia, will you just turn around?" The way his brow creased she could tell he was getting a bit frustrated with her. His impatience amused her, but she didn't want him to know that.

"Very well." Whirling around she once more had an excellent view of the city, encircled by the dark waters of Lake Rumare, and the rolling hills of the surrounding countryside. "What am I looking at?"

"This. I've got a riddle for you to solve." As he answered three balls of sparkling light shot out from the staff in his hand. The first formed itself into a glittering blue eye, the next a stylized heart, and the last a fluffy white sheep wearing a pink ribbon.

"Eyeball, heart, sheep. What is this, a necromancer's shopping list?"

"No." Martin's chuckled reply died as he kissed her neck. "Ugh. Have I ever told you that you're like an onion?"

"You're not going to go on about my layers of mystery again, are you?"

"No. You need a bath. Since when have you ever been so sweaty?"

"Mortal, remember? Besides, I've spent all night dancing at our party. I think I've earned the right to be a stinky Empress." She intertwined his fingers in hers and leaned back against him. The Harvest's End celebrations they'd hosted for the visiting dignitaries, ambassadors, and diplomats had been very fun but very warm. At least the ice atronachs Fathis had patrolling the hallways had helped to keep things a bit cooler, but they'd been unable to prevent the sweat she'd broken during a quick reel with the Bosmeri ambassador. The remembrance at being twirled around by the enthusiastic mer brought a smile to her lips. Lilia gently shook her head and continued the pretence of not understanding what Martin was trying to say with his clever images. "Anyway, I'll try again. Eyeball."

"Shorter."

"Shorter? Eye?" She felt him nod his head. "Eye, heart, sheep. That doesn't make much sense."

"What does a heart do?"

"Beat." She faked a horrified noise of shock. "_I beat sheep_? That's far crueller than anything I've done to mud crabs. Sheep are so fluffy."

"You're being ridiculous. What else do hearts do? What do they feel?"

"Love. _I love sheep_? Oh, I get it. You like mutton. I'll tell the kitchens to serve it more often. Honestly, you could have just said so."

"That's not just a sheep. Look at the ribbon. It's a female sheep" He pointed with the staff as he spoke.

She mock gasped in surprise. "Oh, Martin, I know you worshipped Sanguine, but I never thought you'd done that!"

"No!" His indignant tone was one that she instantly recognized. He really was too much fun to tease. "What's another name for a female sheep?"

"An ewe. _I love you_. Very sweet." She twisted her upper body around to give him a quick kiss. "But you're missing something." Grabbing the staff as she turned back she fired off another glittering beribboned sheep.

"Two ewes? I love two ewes?"

Shaking her head she pressed his free hand onto her stomach. "No. _You love us two_."

The sound of metal clattering against the ground accompanied the quick spin as Martin brought her back to face him. Her desire to scold him for abusing her staff faded as she beheld his expression. The corners of his lips were curled up and he was searching her face, looking for confirmation of her meaning, excitement and hope written all over him. As she nodded the smile he was trying to suppress broke free and she managed a quick burst of delighted laughter before his lips, still in the goofiest grin she'd ever seen, cut it off with an enthusiastic kiss.

And as she kissed him back, his warm arms wrapped tight around her, she marvelled that even though she had no idea what the future had in store for them it didn't bother her. It didn't matter what challenges life threw at them or where their journeys took them. Because standing there she knew that so long as she had Martin by her side, and the stars above her head, she would always be where she belonged. She'd always be home.


End file.
